Mystery Infection Hits 250 at Prague School

A mass outbreak of an unidentified infection has struck Masaryk Primary School in Prague's Újezd nad Lesy district (Prague 21). According to Prague's public health authority, by Tuesday evening the number of affected people had reached 250, including 10 adults, and the figure could still rise.

By Wednesday morning, Prague's emergency medical service had already fielded 30 calls related to the case. Spokesman Karel Kirs said that of the 30 people who contacted them, seven were taken to hospital, 12 received on-site treatment, and the rest were advised over the phone. He noted, however, that the ambulance service only tracks those who called its hotline — the overall number of sick people is being monitored by the hygiene station.

Identical Symptoms Across the Board

All those affected report similar symptoms: stomach and intestinal pain, cramps and fever. The problem first came to light through parents, who began comparing notes in a Facebook group about whether other children were experiencing the same issues.

According to hygiene station spokeswoman Petra Batěk, officials received reports of gastrointestinal illness, with those affected unanimously stating they had eaten at the Masaryk school canteen. Since then, Prague epidemiologists, working alongside the child and adolescent hygiene department, have launched an intensive investigation. Vladimír Mocišek, head of the hygiene station, said the situation is being treated as a priority and that conclusions will be announced once the inquiry is complete.

Are the Spaghetti to Blame?

Parents of the affected children suspect the cause may be a dish served in the school canteen — so-called "charcoal spaghetti." According to their observations, children who didn't eat the dish have shown no symptoms.

However, school headmaster Libor Skála says the exact cause has not yet been confirmed. He hasn't ruled out food poisoning from the canteen, but says a viral infection remains a possibility too. "The same symptoms appeared in children who definitely didn't eat at the canteen yesterday," he said. In light of the outbreak, the headmaster has declared Wednesday and Thursday days off from classes, a decision affecting the school's roughly 1,100 pupils.

The Prague 21 district council is also involved, urging children and parents to strictly follow basic hygiene rules — washing hands above all — and stating that further steps will be coordinated with Prague's hygiene station.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz