An 8-year-old boy died after consuming strawberries from a school fundraiser in Kentucky, US. The Madisonville Police Department received a distress call early Friday morning, alerting them to the dire situation of the child, who was found unresponsive and struggling to breathe.
The family recounted to 14 News that the child had partaken in strawberries from a school fundraiser the preceding evening, only to display alarming symptoms of an allergic reaction shortly afterward, including a troubling rash.
Despite efforts to alleviate his condition by administering Benadryl and a bath, the symptoms persisted, prompting his family to rush him to the emergency room. However, the medical assistance proved futile, and the family was devastated to find the child dead the next morning when attempting to wake him for school.
The Hopkins County Health Department issued a cautionary advisory via social media, urging the public to refrain from consuming any strawberries acquired through school fundraisers in the region.
The concern was amplified by the revelation that the strawberries in question had been distributed by Madisonville North Hopkins High School and Hopkins County Central High School, sourced from Juicy Fruit LLC, Southern Grown, and Sizemore Farms.
"Currently, the Department of Public Health Environmentalists are taking samples of the strawberries to the state lab for testing. Although, this incident could be unrelated, the decision has been made to exercise caution and advise not eating any of these strawberries," the Hopkins County Health Department said in a statement.
Medical examiner Dr. Christopher Kiefer weighed in on the episode, characterizing it as an "isolated allergic reaction," while cautioning that it is still under investigation. "He relates that this is a preliminary report, so we still advise not eating the strawberries currently," the department added in a follow-up announcement.
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