Nineteen students living in the two dormitories of the Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCMC) were hospitalized on Wednesday night after developing several symptoms of possible food poisoning.

They began experiencing vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea after having dinner in the dorms the same day.

They were taken to Thu Duc General Hospital in Thu Duc City, under the jurisdiction of Ho Chi Minh City, for medical treatment at around 10:00 pm on Wednesday.

Their health condition is now stable, the hospital confirmed on Thursday.

A hospital representative said doctors were gathering more information about this suspected food poisoning case before reporting it to the municipal health department for further steps.

On May 2, the Thu Duc-based Le Van Thinh Hospital reported another suspected food poisoning incident involving 15 students of many elementary schools in Thu Duc to the municipal health and food safety authorities.

Among these 15 child patients, lots of them had eaten sushi, ‘bún bò’ (spicy beef noodles), and ‘cơm tấm’ (broken rice topped with grilled pork) offered at food stalls in front of their schools.

According to Truong Thi Minh Hien, a doctor from the Thu Duc General Hospital’s Department of Nutrition, the scorching heat lasting over an extended period poses a high risk of food poisoning incidents.

High temperatures varying between 37 and 40 degrees Celsius provide ideal conditions for bacterial multiplication.

People are still at risk of getting poisoned if they consume well-cooked food contaminated with high levels of bacteria, the doctor warned.

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