A SONGKRAN foam party at Suphanburi led to 65 children being hospitalised for nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and high fever after getting infected with Rotavirus with the organisers admitting canal water too was used because tap water was not enough for the event, Sanook.com said today (Apr. 21).
The children were admitted to Chao Phraya Yommarat and some private hospitals with faecal examination showing they had been infected with Rotavirus. The water too was sent for examination at the Medical Science Centre in Samut Songkhram province.
Upon being contacted by reporters yesterday, Mr. Anon Rakphon, president of Suphanburi Banana Conservation Centre, admitted that during the Songkran foam party tap water from the provincial office of Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation was used but when that was not enough water from a canal in the banana plantation where event was held was added.
Initial investigation by public health officials indicate that the children likely got infected in the water tunnel where tap water mixed with canal water was used.
The officials apologised to the public and said this will not happen again as next year an artesian well will be dug.
The sick children are still undergoing medical treatment at provincial hospitals because some of them are still running high fever with rash all over their body as their worried parents watch over them.
The father of a 10-year-old hospitalised girl said he took his two daughters to play in the water tunnel at this foam party in the banana plantation on Apr. 17. He too joined in but as he was wearing shorts and soon felt itchy on his legs he quickly took his children back home.
At 4 a.m. the young girls started getting a stomach ache, vomiting and had a high fever so he rushed them to the hospital. The doctors there admitted one of them to observe her condition.
He urged the organisers to use clean water because a lot of children join this event and not endanger them.
The mother of another sick child said she took her daughter to Chao Phraya Yommarat Hospital early the next morning after she had played at the foam party. At first she thought it was food poisoning because of her stomach ache and vomiting but as she only ate rice and an omelette the night before she realised her child had got infected at this event with the water giving off a foul smell of mud.
The doctor confirmed that is how her daughter got infected and being very worried she is closely watching her symptoms.
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Songkran merrimakers at the foam party where 65 children got infected. Photo: Sanook.com
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