IMPHAL, June 4: Investigators have revealed that the recent case of food poisoning in the Sajiwa Central Jail could have been due to the consumption of raw Maroi Nakuppi which was not hygienically served.
The food poisoning incident broke out among the inmates at Sajiwa Jail after dinner on May 27, in which 91 inmates were hospitalised.
The revelation followed a through epidemiological investigation based on laboratory tests, verbal and circumstantial evidences collected from the incident site by a team of State Integrated Disease Surveillance Unit.
An epidemiologist who took part in the investigation told IFP that the stool collected from the affected inmates had a putrid smell signifying presence of Clostridium Perfringens bacteria and this bacteria is commonly found in animal excretes.
The investigation team was informed that that night the inmates had for dinner the popular Manipuri delicacy Lafu Eromba mixed with raw Maroi Nakuppi (Chinese Chives) and Kelli Channa (Cereal fry), he added.
He further informed that since other two items were boiled, there were no chances of presence of bacteria in the items while there were chances in the raw item.
And when the Chinese Chives supplier was questioned, it was informed that he used bio manure during plantation.
He said out of those 91 inmates who were suffered from Diarrhoea accompanied with vomiting and fever after dinner, 86 of them had adequate raw Maoi Nakuppi, while 5 others may had suffered from other unknown reasons.
As per statistical analysis, he said, there is 37.2% chance of food poisoning in those inmates who had the raw item than those who did not.