Chinese officials accused of hiding nursery lead poisoning
In a bizarre attempt to attract more kindergarten students, chefs at Peixin had used inedible paint to 'enhance the look' of its mealsm the report added. A fortnight ago, investigators found 'abnormal' levels of lead in the blood of 235 children. Food samples were later found to contain lead 2,000 times in excess of the national safety limit. Initially, eight people were detained for their involvement in producing the toxic date cakes and corn rolls.
The report confirmed that of the eight detained, six of them - including the kindergarten's principal, cooks, and an investor - have been arrested. Ten other officials are set to face 'formal accounting procedures' while another 17 people are under disciplinary action. Authorities in Tianshui revealed on July 8 that 235 children from the privately-owned kindergarten were being treated in hospital after eating the poisonous snacks.
The cake, served at breakfast, returned a reading of 1,052 milligrams of lead per kilogram and the roll, served at another meal, was found with 1,340 milligrams per kilogram. The nationwide limit for lead in wheat and starch is 0.5 milligrams per kilogram, according to Chinese government records. A parent told state-run Jimu News tabloid last week that children had been experiencing stomach pain and nausea, and that some of their teeth turned black.
On Sunday, 234 of them had been discharged. The Gansu Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention was ordered to test 267 students and staff at Peixin after some showed symptoms of lead poisoning earlier this month, but officials 'did not take the work seriously', the report stated.
The person in charge of the tests 'seriously violated operating procedures, which distorted the results', according to the report. Sunday's report named several people under investigation and revealed the lead concentrations found in various food samples, among other details.
It also accused staff at the Tianshui No. 2 People's Hospital of 'serious dereliction of duty' and described the institution's management of the case as 'chaotic'. Authorities in Tianshui have also announced that children suffering from lead poisoning can receive free treatment at designated hospitals and legal assistance will be made available to affected families.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
New York outbreak of deadly lung disease spread by air conditioners grows... as cases triple and another is dead
Another person has died and 36 more have been sickened in a deadly lung disease outbreak that is sweeping New York City. The patients were diagnosed with Legionnaires' disease, a bacterial infection caught from breathing in water vapor that kills about one in 10 people it infects. The latest update brings the total number of deaths to two and cases to 58, and officials fear there are more patients in the city who are infected but undiagnosed. The New York City Health Department warned Monday: 'People living or working in the area with flu-like symptoms, such as cough, fever, chills, muscle aches, or difficulty breathing, should contact a healthcare provider immediately. 'It is especially important for people at higher risk, including those ages 50 and older, cigarette smokers, and people with chronic lung disease or compromised immune systems, to get care if they have symptoms.' All the cases have been detected in five ZIP codes covering the Harlem, East Harlem and Morningside Heights neighborhoods. It is not clear how patients were infected, but officials have said that 11 cooling towers in the area have tested positive for the bacteria that cause the disease. In previous cases, cooling towers have released water vapor contaminated with the bacteria; then, people walking outside the building have breathed it in, causing them to become infected. It is unlikely that the cooling towers infected people inside their buildings because the vapor is typically released outside. Legionnaires' disease can also be spread by air conditioning units if the bacteria contaminate water droplets within the system. Officials have said there is no contamination of municipal water supplies and it is still safe to drink tap water and to bathe, shower or use water for other purposes. The disease is not spread from person to person. No further details on the patients, including their names, ages, and how they were infected, have been released to date. The five ZIP codes affected in the outbreak are: 10027, 10030, 10035, 10037 and 10039. Acting Health Commissioner Dr Michelle Morse said: 'Anyone in these ZIP codes with flu-like symptoms should contact a healthcare provider as soon as possible. 'Legionnaires' disease can be effectively treated if diagnosed early, but New Yorkers at higher risk, like adults aged 50 and older and those who smoke or have chronic lung conditions, should be especially mindful of their symptoms and seek care as soon as symptoms begin.' Legionnaires' disease is caused by Legionella bacteria, which thrive in warm water and can become airborne if this is turned into steam. Infected patients initially suffer from a headache, muscle aches, and fever that may be 104 Fahrenheit (40 Celsius) or higher. But within three days, they may experience a cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, and confusion or other mental changes. In serious cases, patients can develop severe pneumonia, and the bacteria can spread to the blood, causing the potentially fatal complication sepsis. The bacteria can also infect the heart. Patients die from the disease due to lung failure, septic shock, a sudden severe drop in blood flow to vital organs, or acute kidney failure, when these organs stop filtering waste from the blood. Doctors treat the disease using antibiotics, but say these are most effective in the early stages before the disease has spread in the body. Patients are often hospitalized. In milder cases, patients may also suffer from Pontiac fever, a condition causing fever, chills, headache and muscle aches that occurs when the bacteria do not infect the lungs. This condition goes away on its own without treatment and causes no further problems, doctors say. The New York City outbreak was first revealed on July 22, when the health department reported eight cases. All buildings that had units that tested positive for the Legionella bacteria were told to clean their systems within 24 hours. It follows a previous outbreak in July 2015 in the Bronx, which became the second-largest Legionnaires' disease outbreak in the US. Overall, a total of 155 patients were infected and 17 people died due to the disease from July to September that year. The outbreak was eventually linked back to a cooling tower at the Opera House Hotel in the South Bronx, which had been contaminated with the bacteria and was releasing it in water vapor. The largest outbreak was recorded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1976, when 221 people were infected and 34 died after breathing in fumes released by the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel's cooling tower.
Reuters
3 hours ago
- Reuters
Pfizer raises 2025 profit forecast as cost-cutting program gains traction
Aug 5 (Reuters) - Pfizer (PFE.N), opens new tab raised its full-year profit forecast on Tuesday while reporting second-quarter results that topped Wall Street estimates, and said it expects to benefit from cost-cutting and a weaker dollar. The New York-based drugmaker said the new forecast absorbs a one-time charge of 20 cents per share related to its licensing deal with China's 3SBio ( opens new tab for an experimental cancer treatment. Pfizer shares rose about 2% to $24 in premarket trading. Pfizer shares have lost more than half their value from their pandemic-era highs as it deals with waning revenue from COVID products and looming patent expirations for key drugs. In response, the company launched cost-saving measures last year across its manufacturing and research operations. Pfizer said it was on track to deliver $7.2 billion in net savings from the programs by the end of 2027, about $4.5 billion coming by the end of 2025. J.P. Morgan analyst Chris Schott said that the quarterly beat and the forecast raise did not come as a surprise given the company's better-than-expected cost management. "We would not be surprised with additional upside to EPS as the year progresses," Schott said. The company now expects adjusted earnings of $2.90 to $3.10 per share, up from its prior view of $2.80 to $3.00. The pharmaceutical industry is facing intense pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to lower prices Americans pay for prescription medicines, while preparing for 15% tariffs on imports from the European Union. Pfizer shares have fallen over 11% this year, compared to a 1.7% decline for the broader NYSE Arca Pharmaceutical Index (.DRG), opens new tab. The company said its forecast also absorbs the impact of the currently imposed tariffs on goods imported from China, Canada and Mexico, as well as potential price changes this year based on the letter it received from Trump on July 31. "We continue to be actively engaged with policymakers as we navigate a complicated and rapidly evolving geopolitical environment," said CEO Albert Bourla in prepared remarks. Pfizer has said it has enough manufacturing capacity across its 10 U.S. sites to mitigate any tariff impact and is open to shifting some production to those facilities. Total quarterly sales of $14.65 billion topped analysts' estimates by over $1 billion, according to LSEG data, and included a $22 million favorable impact from foreign exchange. Sales of antiviral COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid of $427 million for the quarter far exceeded analysts' expectations of $244.4 million. COVID vaccine Comirnaty, which Pfizer makes with German partner BioNTech ( opens new tab, brought in sales of $381 million. Analysts were expecting $188 million. Quarterly sales of the heart disease treatment sold under brand names Vyndaqel and Vyndamax were $1.62 billion, slightly above estimates of $1.59 billion. Revenue from blood thinner Eliquis, which Pfizer shares with Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY.N), opens new tab, was $2 billion, while analysts were expecting $1.94 billion. On an adjusted basis, Pfizer earned 78 cents per share for the second quarter, topping analysts' expectations by 20 cents.
The Herald Scotland
5 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Glasgow care home fined £50k after death of vulnerable man
On Boxing Day 2022 he managed to leave the home via a series of stairways and fire doors and was found dead in the car park at around 7am, having been outside for several hours. An inspector from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) counted 320 steps from the Mr Kearins room to the car park just off Lambhill Street. Site of the car home and adjacent car park (Image: HSE) An investigation found that the pensioner had exited through a fire door which had been left unsecured, and on which the internal alarm had been deactivated, at around 1am with the door closed an hour later by an unknown member of staff carrying out routine checks. The care home manager confirmed that having found the door open, staff should have conducted a head count to make sure no patients were missing. However, they failed to do so. The HSE investigation found the company had failed to have a safe system of work in place. Records held by the company in relation to Mr Kearins, extensively noted the clear risk that he might abscond or 'wander'. It was part of his care plan that he be checked or monitored every hour. Read More: Falsified records showed that a senior care assistant and a care assistant who had responsibility for Mr Kearins' care stated they had performed tasks involving his care at a time when he was no longer in the building and they could not possibly have done so. Both were unaware he was no longer in his room until news of his death became known following the discovery of his body in the car park. Oakminster Healthcare Limited, of Lambhill Street, Glasgow, pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 3(1) and Section 33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £53,750 at Glasgow Sheriff Court on 23 July 2025. HM Inspector Amna Shah said: 'This incident was completely avoidable. 'It is hugely concerning that a vulnerable man was able to walk so far and through so many doors without being noticed. 'We counted he had walked more than 300 steps. 'The fact this incident happened at Christmas time makes it all the more tragic. 'We will always take action against those who fail in their responsibilities.' Oakminster Healthcare has been contacted for comment.
