Nepali police ill due to food poisoning

NEPAL: A total of 40 police personnel entrusted with guarding Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Nepali capital Kathmandu fell ill en masse due to food poisoning, The Himalayan Times daily reported on Wednesday.

According to Dr Gajananda P Bhandari, epidemiologist and coordinator of Special Health Desk set up at TIA, the police personnel were immediately referred to Nepal Police Hospital on Tuesday after they complained of diarrhea, fever and nausea and their condition deteriorated.

"All the police personnel used to share a cafeteria. Probably, they had eaten pumpkin curry and pickle of radish and potato unfit for human consumption which caused them food poisoning," Bhandari was quoted by the daily as saying.

He further explained that they were confirmed to be suffered from dysentery after laboratory test of their stool.

He urged the general public not to confuse the dysentery with flu virus A/H1N1. "I would like to urge the public not to panic as we have succeeded in reining the outbreak of dysentery", said Dr Bhandari. "35 out of 40 police personnel rushed to hospital have been discharged after providing needful medications and five of them are still lying in bed. They have yet to contain the fever and dehydration," he said adding that it was also a water-borne disease in the summertime.

At least 323 police personnel are guarding the country's only international airport. Health officials have intensified their vigil at the airport to prevent further outbreak of communicable disease. KATHMANDU, Wednesday, Xinhua