Almaty has suspended operations at the Republican Physics and Mathematics School (RFMS) after 47 students were hospitalized with symptoms of acute intestinal infection, while eight more children from the school's boarding facility have been isolated and are under medical observation. The news was reported by infohub.kz, citing the city's infectious diseases hospital.
According to the medical facility, the students were admitted to hospital on October 12 and 13. All of them remain under doctors' supervision.
The incident first came to light in a post by user amure_qaz02 on the social network Threads. The author said his nephews and other parents' children had been taken to hospital, mentioning poisoning and E. coli. "RFMS Almaty, shame on you! What are you doing?! My nephews ended up in hospital. Not just mine — other parents' children too. They say it's poisoning. Some have E. coli. Today they said the whole school has been put under quarantine for 3 days. Why isn't anyone saying anything anywhere?! Around 50 schoolchildren ended up in hospital," the post reads.
In the comments under the post, the information was confirmed by the Children's City Clinical Infectious Diseases Hospital. It clarified that 47 RFMS students with signs of acute intestinal infection were hospitalized on October 12–13. "They are all currently under doctors' supervision. Another 8 children living in the school's boarding facility have been isolated and are under medical observation," the hospital said.
By order of the Department of Sanitary and Epidemiological Control, the school, its boarding facility and cafeteria have been shut down. Specialists are carrying out an inspection and samples have been collected for laboratory testing. The situation is under the control of the relevant services.