Investigation launched after 56 people show signs of intoxication at 20 Tbilisi kindergartens

An investigation has been launched after 55 children and one staff member at 20 kindergartens in Tbilisi showed signs of intoxication, Georgia’s Investigation Service of the Ministry of Finance said on Friday.

The investigation was launched after the authorities received a report concerning cases of intoxication among children and a kindergarten employee.

The investigation concerns production and sale of products hazardous to human life or health that have endangered a person’s life or health.

The affected children and staff members sought medical assistance at six medical facilities in Tbilisi. More than 50 legal representatives of children and medical personnel have already been interviewed as part of the investigation.

Investigative and procedural measures, including searches, continued throughout the night at four kindergartens and three companies supplying food products to kindergartens, the Investigation Service said.

The operation is being conducted in coordination with relevant units of the Interior Ministry and the Food Safety Agency under the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture. Food Safety Agency representatives are also participating in the searches.

The Tbilisi Kindergarten Management Agency said that, following recommendations from epidemiologists and in accordance with the law, educational activities have been suspended at seven public kindergartens as a precaution against epidemiological risks.

The agency said children at several public kindergartens had developed fever and, in some cases, nausea and vomiting, prompting them to seek medical attention.

The remaining 183 public kindergartens continue to operate, according to the agency. It is coordinating the response with the Tbilisi Epidemiological Surveillance Service, the Food Safety Agency, the Investigation Service and the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health.

Investigators said that, based on information currently available, the intoxication may be linked to a bacterial infection, with food consumed at the kindergartens considered a possible source.

However, authorities stressed that it has not yet been established which specific food product, if any, caused the cases. This will be determined through appropriate laboratory and expert examination.

Investigators said relevant items, documents and food products would be collected from all kindergartens where cases were reported.