Viral shipment: how students of the lyceum in Yekaterinburg were massively poisoned

Those responsible for the mass infection of lyceum students in Yekaterinburg face up to two years in prison, lawyers said. More than 30 people, most of them teenagers, were hospitalized. They were diagnosed with acute gastroenteritis: acute inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines. A criminal case has been opened under the article on violation of sanitary and epidemiological rules. This is the most widespread poisoning that has occurred in educational institutions since the beginning of the year. About why such cases occur annually and who will be responsible for the mass poisoning is in the Izvestia article.

How many children were injured in Yekaterinburg

After the mass poisoning in the dormitory of the Specialized Educational and Scientific Center of the Ural Federal University (SUNC UrFU), a criminal case was opened under the article on violation of sanitary and epidemiological rules. This was reported in the regional department of the Investigative Committee.

"More than 30 people have applied for medical help, most of them students aged 16-18 years, have been hospitalized," the ministry said in a statement. - Previously, the serious condition of the patients has not been established."

The investigators are interrogating the staff of the educational institution, representatives of the enterprises that supply the products, and the students themselves.

The regional prosecutor's office is also checking the incident, according to the department's Telegram channel. The epidemiological investigation was launched by Rospotrebnadzor.

"Medical workers are currently examining children in the dormitory where nonresident students of the SUNC live. In addition, information is collected from students living with their parents at their place of residence about their health status. In this regard, the exact number of cases will be determined later," the supervisory authority said.

Pavel Krekov, Deputy Governor of the Sverdlovsk Region, instructed the Minister of Health of the region to conduct an operational examination of all students who could become infected. According to him, there are 206 of them. The educational institution has switched to a distance learning format.

—Of the 209 lyceum students permanently residing in the dormitory, 189 people were there on the night of March 12," the UrFU reported. — The University checks information about the medical treatment of students who do not live in the dormitory and the staff of the lyceum. If possible, eviction from the boarding school is carried out. Hot food delivery has been arranged for those who remain.

Sanitary treatment of premises is carried out at the university. Senior employees of organizations providing catering and cleaning have been requested to provide documents for verification — medical records, vaccination certificates of employees, information about dishes, products and their suppliers, on the cleaning work carried out and the materials used in this process.

Why do children get poisoned regularly

The key factor in the annual mass infections of such infections is the impunity of business, according to Oleg Pavlov, chairman of the consumer protection organization Public Consumer Initiative. This, he said, leads to an increase in the number of poisonings and the volume of counterfeit products.

So, at the end of February 2025, in Khabarovsk, 25 students of school No. 68 sought medical help with symptoms of intestinal infection, and a criminal case was opened into the incident.

"From February 17 to February 23, 2025, 25 students of school No. 68 sought medical help with signs of intestinal infection," the regional prosecutor's office said in a Telegram channel.

As Izvestia wrote, since September 1, 2024, mass poisoning of children due to violations in educational institutions has occurred in at least six regions.

In mid-October, it became known about the poisoning of 34 students and one teacher at school No. 1 in Yelizov, Kamchatka. The injured were hospitalized. It is specified that the children ate pancakes with ham and fish dumplings. After that, they had severe abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. A criminal case has been opened.

In November, 25 people were poisoned at a school in the city of Kansk in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. A teacher, a technical worker and 19 children needed hospitalization, according to the data of the Rospotrebnadzor department for the Krasnoyarsk Territory.

Also in November last year, 217 children applied to medical institutions in Chuvashia, 203 were confirmed to have norovirus, the head of the republic Oleg Nikolaev reported. They picked up the virus from food service workers.

"It has been established that the source of the spread of norovirus was the infection of two employees of Cheboksary Bakery No. 2," he wrote on the Telegram channel.

The responsibility for the health and safety of students lies with the management of the educational institution, said Anna Malafeeva, a lawyer at the Lobutev and Partners Moscow Bar Association.

"This concerns compliance with sanitary and epidemiological standards, ensuring adequate living conditions, food and household services in the dormitory," she explained. — If it is established that the institute or its staff committed violations of the rules, this may lead to administrative and criminal liability. For example, they may be prosecuted for improper performance of their duties.

In the absence of deaths among the victims, the perpetrators face a fine or imprisonment for up to two years.

How to get infected with gastroenteritis

Gastroenteritis is an inflammatory disease of the stomach and intestines. It can be caused by viruses, bacteria, and parasites. The most common viral pathogens are rotavirus and norovirus, Daria Fokina, an Invitro gastroenterologist, reminded Izvestia.

Bacterial infections can be caused, for example, by salmonella and E. coli. Parasites such as giardia can also cause gastroenteritis, she added.

The main method of infection with gastroenteritis is fecal—oral, added Ekaterina Kashukh, gastroenterologist at the Hemotest laboratory. Viruses, bacteria, and parasites enter the body through contaminated hands, household items, food, or water. Infection can also occur after eating contaminated food and water.

"Some viruses, such as norovirus, can also spread by airborne droplets, especially through vomiting," the specialist said.

In addition, infectious gastroenteritis is in most cases caused by viruses, of which there are many types, explained Roman Merkulov, an epidemiologist at the UNI Clinics Medical Center.

"These viruses are very variable, which makes it impossible to create effective vaccines," he explained. — Lack of vaccines against most viruses, non-observance of basic hygiene rules, violation of food storage and cooking conditions, especially in catering organizations, lead to periodic outbreaks of infectious gastroenteritis.

As a preventive measure, experts recommend following hygienic and sanitary measures, in particular, washing your hands with soap before eating and after going to the toilet. It is also important to wash fruits and vegetables, thoroughly roast meat and fish, avoid eating raw, undercooked food, and ensure proper food storage, Daria Fokina emphasized.

— You should also not drink water from a tap, preference should be given to bottled or boiled water, — Ekaterina Kashukh emphasized.

Another effective preventive measure is vaccination against rotavirus, the doctors added.