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Friday, September 28, 2012

Thousands of children suffer from gastrointestinal infectionauthorities fear noro-virus outbreak in the East...


The mass occurrence of gastrointestinal infections in children still ensures guesswork. Meanwhile, the number of patients has increased to 6700 - in Berlin alone there are 2500 cases. The Ministry of Health has set up a task force.
The Social Ministry in Erfurt confirmed that in the contaminated school lunches all suggest the existence of the highly contagious noro virus . Federal and state governments established a joint coordination and investigation team.

Noro virus or poison?

In Berlin alone had until Friday afternoon, according to the state health secretary Emine Demirbüken-Wegner (CDU) 2176 known cases of disease - so has the number of people affected has more than doubled. One child was treated on Friday still in the hospital.Affected in the capital, a total of 58 schools and 22 kindergartens. . A school and a day care center remained closed on Friday , the Berlin Infection Protection Commissioner Marlen Suckau According to trigger the wave of infection two theses were in the room: Norovirus or a toxin. The final outcome is not yet available, it is determined in all directions. The Secretary of State for Health, Emine Demirbüken-Wegner (CDU) showed its concern: "We are investigating to feverishly, what it is." She stressed, however, that this did not constitute serious illnesses. In two weeks, the management expects results.



Several thousand children sick in four East German states

In Saxony until Friday afternoon around 2000 cases were announced in eleven counties, such as the Ministry of Health announced in Dresden. 17 schools and high schools have so far been closed as a precaution. Brandenburg from 1749 cases were reported. In Thuringia, were, according to the Ministry of Social Affairs to Friday morning reported 764 illnesses in 34 facilities - is still rising. Three of the four children who had to be hospitalized in the past few days could have been turned into fired. The disease wave with vomiting and diarrhea Tuesday evening had begun.

Catering company denies the blame

According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), all cases are due to cafeteria food in schools and child care facilities that are apparently supplied by the same supplier with food. "So, everything points to a foodborne outbreak," said RKI spokeswoman Susanne Glasmacher.
This catering company Sodexo refused the responsibility. There was "still no logical connection between the suppliers and the reported cases of illness" that suggested food supplies as the cause, the company said on Friday in Rüsselsheim. Only a small part of the equipment supplied disease cases had occurred. The previously instructed increased hygiene measures could provisionally maintained.

"Task force" of federal and state

The federal government and the affected countries established a "Task Force" under the auspices of the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL), such as the Federal Ministry of Consumer Protection announced on Friday. The examination of the goods and delivery routes potentially affected foods will continue over the weekend with high pressure. The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has been turned on. Federal Consumer Protection Minister Ilse Aigner (CSU) said that goal must be to find the cause of the disease as quickly as possible and stop the entry into the food chain...