Salmonella outbreak at Prague school sickens 363, hospitalizes 50

A foodborne illness outbreak linked to a Prague school kitchen has affected 363 people and led to 50 hospitalizations since Monday, public health officials said Friday.

Laboratory tests have confirmed salmonellosis in 22 people, with further results pending. Prague’s public health authority has classified the situation at Masaryk Elementary School in Újezd nad Lesy as an epidemic.

All those reporting symptoms ate a meal prepared Sept. 21 in the kitchen at the school’s main building on Polesná Street. The food was also distributed to kindergartens, seniors and another school building.

Health officials recorded illnesses among 315 pupils and 21 staff members at the main school building. The school has around 1,100 pupils in total.

Another 13 cases were reported at the Čentická and Sluníčko kindergartens, while eight seniors receiving meals through a care service became ill. Six cases were connected to the school’s secondary building on Staroklánovická Street.

Children and employees at the main building began developing symptoms Monday and Tuesday. Symptoms appeared later among seniors, kindergarten children and people eating at the secondary site.

Martina Marešová, head of the public health authority’s anti-epidemic department, said the later onset could indicate that these groups consumed a smaller infectious dose, resulting in a longer incubation period.

The case count may change as officials continue evaluating questionnaires completed by diners or their legal guardians.

The meal served Monday was uhlířské špagety, a Czech pasta dish containing eggs. Inspectors previously said the kitchen used eggs beyond their best-before date, but authorities are continuing to investigate the precise source of the outbreak.

Prague police have opened criminal proceedings on suspicion of negligently endangering public health through unsafe food. If wrongdoing is established, the offense carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison.

The school and kitchen are being disinfected, and pupils currently have time off at the director’s discretion. Public health officials said classroom teaching can resume Tuesday, Sept. 29, following mechanical cleaning and targeted disinfection.

An external supplier will deliver meals to the main school building and affected kindergartens from Tuesday. The kitchen in the secondary building is expected to resume operations because no problem has been confirmed there.

The main kitchen may reopen only after completing sanitation, reviewing its hygiene procedures and ensuring all employees test negative for salmonellosis.

School director Libor Skala said Friday that he was considering resigning but wanted to help return the school to normal operation before making a final decision.

Skala said responsibility for the menu, cooking procedures and ingredients rested with the cafeteria manager or, in his absence, the head cook. He indicated that personnel changes were likely but said the school would wait for the public health authority’s final findings.

The Czech School Inspectorate is also in contact with the school over replacement catering. Two other complaints involving lunch distribution and meal-card chips are being examined but are unrelated to the salmonella outbreak.

Doctors will decide individually when children who experienced symptoms can safely return to school.