Irbid, May 7 (Petra) – Ministry of Health teams on Thursday recorded 11 suspected food poisoning cases among students at the Yarmouk University Model School in Irbid Governorate after several students exhibited symptoms of gastroenteritis. The affected students received treatment at a private hospital, while one student was admitted for observation.

Director of the Epidemiology Department at the Ministry of Health, Ayman Maqableh, told the Jordan News Agency (Petra) that epidemiological investigation and rapid response teams, in coordination with the Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA), launched an inquiry into the incident after reports linked meals served at the school to stomach cramps and suspected food poisoning cases.

As a precautionary measure, the JFDA temporarily closed a restaurant contracted to supply meals to the school’s cafeterias pending the outcome of the investigation.

According to the JFDA, the sale of meat products in school canteens is prohibited, and operators are required to adhere to approved health standards.

Maqableh added that specialized teams collected food samples from the school cafeterias and the restaurant for laboratory testing, in addition to obtaining samples from cafeteria and restaurant staff to verify compliance with health and safety regulations and identify the source of the suspected contamination.

He added that the school was evacuated as a precaution pending the completion of laboratory tests and official investigations, while preventive measures were implemented to protect students and staff.

In a separate statement, Yarmouk University said it continues to monitor developments and stressed its commitment to safeguarding the health and well-being of students and employees, urging the public to rely on official sources for information related to the incident.

//Petra// AJ