Conference Abstract | Volume 9 (ConfProc7): Abstract 093 | Published: 06 Oct 2026
Shirley Gloria Davis1,&, Lloyd Owura Adu-Kumi1, Daniel Addotei Kpakpo1, Vincent Arthur1, Benjamin Osei Tutu2, Rita Asante1,2, Priscilla Awusi Teye2, Nashon Senanu2, Philip Davor3, Delia Bandoh1, Mavis Osafo1, Magdalene Odikro1, Samuel Sackey1, Ernest Kenu1
1Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme, 2Food and Drugs Authority, Ghana, 3Ghana Health Service, Ningo Prampram District
&Corresponding author: Shirley Gloria Davis, Food and Drugs Authority, Ghana, Email: shirley.davis@fda.gov.gh
Received: 29 Aug 2025, Accepted: 28 Oct 2025, Published: 06 Oct 2026
Domain: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
This is part of the Proceedings of the 8th Ghana FELTP Scientific Conference and FELTP Competency Graduation, Accra, Ghana, 10 – 11 December, 2025
Keywords: Food borne, consumption, food vendors, food safety, Ningo Prampram
©Shirley Gloria Davis et al. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Shirley Gloria Davis et al. Investigation of a suspected foodborne disease outbreak in Ningo Prampram District, Greater Accra Region – April 2025. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2026;9(ConfPro7):093. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO7-0093
School children are vulnerable to foodborne outbreaks, particularly in settings with informal food vendors. On 14 April 2025, over 20 school children in Ningo Prampram District were hospitalized with symptoms suggestive of foodborne illness. A local maize drink called “Asana” was suspected. The investigation aimed to confirm the outbreak, determine its magnitude, identify the source, and implement control measures.
We interviewed food vendors, conducted active case search, environmental assessments, laboratory analysis of food samples for contamination and reviewed health records to obtain information on demographics, symptoms, and illness onset. A 1:2 unmatched case-control design was employed. A case was defined as any resident who experienced abdominal pain, dizziness, diarrhoea, nausea, fever, headache, or profuse sweating on April 14, 2025. Controls were residents present at the school on the same day who remained asymptomatic throughout the outbreak period. Frequencies, proportions, attack rates and odds ratios, were calculated.
A total of 38 cases were identified, attack rate was 57 per 1000, with no deaths. The median age was 12 (6–52) years, and 52.6% (20/38) of cases were males. The most common symptoms among cases were abdominal pain and dizziness, each reported 52.5% (20/38). The index case was a 52-year-old woman who consumed the “Asana”. Consumption of “Asana” was associated with illness (OR = 203.0; 95% CI: 26.4–8388.3, p < 0.000), with an attack rate of 100% among those who consumed “Asana”. Lab tests were negative for pesticides but environmental assessments revealed unhygienic food preparation practices.
The foodborne illness among school children in Olowe, Ningo-Prampram District, was a point-source foodborne outbreak linked to consumption of chemically contaminated “Asana. Strengthening food safety education, enforcing vendor hygiene standards, and routine monitoring of school food vendors are essential to prevent similar outbreaks and protect vulnerable populations.
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