Twenty-two students at the Government Polytechnic College for Girls hostel in Pebbair, Wanaparthy district, fell ill after eating chicken curry served on Wednesday night, with 10 requiring treatment with intravenous fluids for vomiting, dehydration and body pains.
The students began experiencing vomiting, severe abdominal pain, diarrhoea symptoms and general body pain a few hours after the meal. Hostel staff initially provided tablets, while most of the affected students were taken to a hospital near the hostel. As the condition of 10 students became more concerning, staff shifted them to the government primary health centre in Pebbair on Thursday morning.
The students also contacted their parents, who reached the hospital to check on their health. According to officials, chicken curry is served to the hostel’s students every Wednesday. The illness after the latest meal has raised questions about the quality of food supplied at the government residential institution.
Wanaparthy District Medical and Health Officer B Bhaskar Naik said officials were treating the incident as a common food-borne illness coupled with probable water contamination. However, he said the exact source of the illness had not yet been established and would require further investigation.
Naik said the 10 students treated at the health centre received IV fluids for dehydration, body pains and vomiting. All 10 were discharged from the hospital, he added.
The water supply at the hostel has also emerged as part of the investigation. Naik said an RO plant on the premises had been shut for the previous three days, prompting hostel staff to obtain water from outside. The officials’ preliminary assessment does not establish whether the illness was caused by the chicken curry, the water supplied to the hostel or another source.
The incident has brought attention to the importance of food and water safety in government hostels, where students depend on institutional arrangements for daily meals and drinking water. Further investigation by health officials is expected to determine the source of contamination and whether any action is required regarding food preparation, water quality or hostel operations.
