UPDATED: 15 individuals hospitalized after suspected poisoning in Ajloun: Medical source to Roya

Jordan

Published: 2021-10-16 12:34

Last Updated: 2024-03-29 03:19


UPDATED: 15 individuals hospitalized after suspected poisoning in Ajloun: Medical source to Roya
UPDATED: 15 individuals hospitalized after suspected poisoning in Ajloun: Medical source to Roya

Saturday evening, the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Health for Technical and Administrative Affairs, Ilham Khreisat, said that the number of cases of poisoning in Ajloun has risen to 15.

Earlier, a medical source told Roya Saturday that 11 suspected poisoning cases were admitted to Al Iman Governmental Hospital in Ajloun.

The source added that four of the cases have been discharged. The other seven are in stable condition.

Earlier Saturday, Minister of Health Feras Al-Hawari visited Jerash Governmental Hospital and checked on the health of nine children who were admitted to the hospital at dawn on Saturday due to symptoms of suspected poisoning.

During the visit, Hawari met the director of the hospital, the director of environmental health, and the doctors supervising the admitted cases.

Hawari pointed out that the reason behind the admission of the new nine cases could be the Shigella bacteria.

Hawari added that samples have been taken to determine the cause of the suspected poisoning cases.

Oct. 11, 15 cases were suspected to have been poisoned in Jerash.

For his part, the Director of Jerash Hospital, Sadiq Al-Atoum, said that nine suspected poisoning cases were admitted to Jerash Governmental Hospital early Saturday, and their health condition was described as stable.

He explained that the total number of poisoned cases reached 58 cases as of Wednesday, Oct. 13, and that all patients were in stable condition.

Wednesday, the Assistant Secretary-General of the Ministry of Health for Epidemiological Affairs, Ghazi Sharkas, said that the preliminary results of the samples that were analyzed for the people who were poisoned in Jerash showed that the cause of their sickness is a bacteria called Shigella.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Shigella bacteria is highly contagious and is caused by “touching surfaces contaminated with germs from stool from a sick person, such as toys, bathroom fixtures, changing tables or diaper pails” or “swallowing recreational water (for example, lake or river water) while swimming or drinking water that is contaminated with stool (fecal matter) containing the germ.”