November 14th 2024.
According to recent reports from Health NZ, the source of the widespread sickness at two Canterbury University halls of residence in Christchurch has been identified as a dish containing shredded chicken. This news comes after more than 100 students fell ill with symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea during their end-of-year exams.
In an effort to determine the cause of the outbreak, Health NZ worked closely with the Ministry for Primary Industries to conduct thorough investigations. After conducting epidemiological, laboratory, and environmental studies, it was discovered that the contamination of the chicken dish was due to improper food preparation processes.
Claire Salter, a Public Health Medical Specialist for the National Public Health Service, stated that laboratory testing of fecal samples provided by some of the affected students revealed the presence of Clostridium perfringens, a type of bacteria known for producing toxins that can make people sick.
Salter explained that this type of illness is typically caused by consuming food that has been stored at unsafe temperatures for too long. Vincent Arbuckle, deputy director-general of New Zealand Food Safety, added that the handling practices surrounding the cooling, reheating, and hot holding of the meat were consistent with the growth of toxins from the bacteria, resulting in illness.
The average time between consuming the contaminated food and experiencing symptoms was approximately 11 hours, which is in line with the expected incubation period for this pathogen. Arbuckle noted that if the issue had been undercooked meat, a different pathogen and set of symptoms would likely have been present, with an incubation period of two to five days.
Assuring concerned students, Arbuckle stated that food safety officers had thoroughly inspected the kitchen and found no evidence of immediate or ongoing food safety risks at the hall. He also mentioned that efforts are being made to review the kitchen's practices and procedures to prevent a similar issue from occurring in the future.
The chicken dish in question was served as part of a souvlaki meal at both University Hall and Ilam Student Accommodation. Salter stated that a survey conducted among students revealed that consuming this dish was the most significant predictor of becoming ill. The reported symptoms also matched the profile of those caused by Clostridium perfringens.
Salter emphasized the importance of properly managing the risk to prevent a recurrence of this situation. She confirmed that food safety officers have conducted a thorough inspection of the kitchen and have taken corrective actions to address any potential issues.
One student shared their experience with Stuff, revealing that queues formed at the toilet in one building at 4am on the morning of the outbreak. They also mentioned that over 200 students were affected and were experiencing severe vomiting and diarrhea throughout the night. A video sent in by another student showed vomit falling from the windows of the hall, as some students were unable to make it to the bathrooms in time.
Following the initial outbreak, food safety officers from NZFS were on-site, and the university has stated that students who were unable to sit their exams due to illness will have the opportunity to apply for special consideration or resit them.
This article was originally published on Stuff and has been republished here with their permission.
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