HPA rules out food as diarrhoea outbreak cause; blames virus
The opening of Independence Day Carnival event at the Hulhumale Central Park has also been postponed due to the spread of diarrhoea.
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Although several rumours and reports claimed that the sudden increase in the number of people falling ill with diarrhoea in Male since Thursday evening was due to the consumption of a candy that was distributed during the Independence Day float parade, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) affirmed on Friday evening that the outbreak was not linked to food.
The HPA said on Twitter that the agency's findings show that the sudden increase in the spread of the disease was caused by a virus. The problem does not appear to be related to any particular type of food, the agency added.
The HPA said the number of diarrhoea cases have been increasing for two weeks. The increase is also seen in other years, usually during the school holidays.
However, the number of people going to hospitals in the city had increased massively since Thursday evening.
The agency advises people to take precautions and seek medical attention if they experience any symptoms.
The opening of Independence Day carnival event at the Hulhumale Central Park has also been postponed due to the spread of diarrhoea and vomiting.
