Gastroenteritis Outbreak at Two E-Bridge Pre-School Outlets
Authorities are investigating 44 cases of gastroenteritis involving 34 students and 10 staff at E-Bridge Pre-School outlets at Dawson Road and Sengkang Square, following a similar outbreak at its MacPherson branch last month.
Key Details
- Dawson Road: 20 students and 4 staff fell ill since Sep 18. One student was briefly hospitalised. Most have since recovered. Preliminary tests point to norovirus as the cause.
- Sengkang Square: 14 students and 6 staff developed symptoms from Sep 24. None required hospitalisation. Recovery is ongoing.
- Investigations are underway to check if the two incidents are linked.
Wider Context
- The outbreaks follow recent cases at other preschools, including PCF Sparkletots (Mountbatten) and Mulberry Learning (Punggol).
- Authorities stress the importance of infection prevention, urging parents to keep sick children at home, seek timely medical care, and reinforce hygiene habits.
- Preschools must comply with food safety and hygiene rules; the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) warned it will act against errant food operators.
This is the third gastroenteritis outbreak at E-Bridge Pre-School in under a month, raising concerns about infection control and food safety practices in preschools. Doctors and medical professionals should keep a close watch on GE outbreaks so that the right measures can be taken.
