About 55 people, most of them schoolchildren, fell ill after eating falafel contaminated with human waste.
The incident took place at a restaurant in the Jordanian city of Irbid, which was then closed “a few hours later.”
Initial results released by the Jordan Food and Drug Authority (JFDA) confirmed the presence of feces in food samples served.
E. coli and Shigella, highly infectious bacteria that can cause serious gastrointestinal diseases, were found in the food.
Dr. Ayman Makable, director of the health ministry's epidemiology department, said at least 42 students sought medical attention at hospitals and clinics last week.
Eight people were hospitalised and three remain under close observation, Gulf News reported.
The victims, aged 6 to 14 years, showed symptoms typical of Shigella infection, including diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps.
Health officials also confirmed that one of the restaurant's employees tested positive for the same bacteria, raising the possibility that he or she could have been the source of the outbreak.
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The restaurant, which had a bakery license, has reportedly been closed by its original owner.
It was then rented out to a local school teacher.
Without notifying regulators, he began serving falafel to students at two nearby schools.
Jordan's Ministry of Health stressed that the situation is “under control” and that treatment and monitoring protocols have been activated.
Sourse: metro.co.uk
