In the Burabay district of the Akmola region, there has been a mass poisoning of teenage footballers who had arrived for a sports training camp.
According to the Instagram page "Nayza Kokse", 18 cases of bacterial intestinal infection have been registered among the underage athletes. They were all undergoing training camps at the sports school "Zhaksy No.2" named after T.A. Ualiyev in the city of Shchuchinsk ahead of an upcoming football tournament. It is noted that the event was not coordinated with the district administration.
Four children were hospitalised in the infectious diseases department of the Akmola Regional Children's Hospital. The victims are children aged around ten, who arrived from Kostanay and Almaty.
The head of the infectious diseases department, Victoria Pichkunova, reported that the children are in a satisfactory condition.
"They have no fever. Before being admitted to us, their stomachs were washed out at the district hospital, and treatment continued here. According to preliminary reports, it is 'enterovit' (editor's note FBRK: likely meaning enterovirus). It could have been triggered by a water factor — a water cooler or eggs. The exact cause is being established," the statement says.
In connection with the incident, the internal affairs authorities have opened a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 304 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan ("Violation of sanitary rules or hygiene standards"). An epidemiological investigation is underway.
As reported by the Department of Sanitary and Epidemiological Control for the Akmola region, anti-epidemic and preventive measures have been organised jointly with district services, and inspections are being carried out regarding the conditions of the children's accommodation and compliance with sanitary standards at the sports complex.