Authorities did not say whether the boy had a previous allergy to strawberries.
Kentucky State Police are investigating the death of an 8-year-old child after eating strawberries at a school fundraiser. The boy was found unresponsive at home on Friday and his parents told police he “ate a few strawberries from a high school fundraiser the night before” at North Hopkins High School in Madisonville, Kentucky.
The boy’s family told authorities he began to show signs of an allergic reaction, including a rash, people the report said. His parents said they gave him diphenhydramine and put him in a bath after he developed symptoms. However, his symptoms continued to worsen and he was taken to a nearby hospital around 10:30 that night, before being sent home a few hours later, according to media reports.
Police said the family tried to wake him up for school Friday morning but found him unresponsive and called authorities. After the boy’s death, the Hopkins County Health Department said a preliminary autopsy report ruled it was an “isolated allergic reaction.”
“Medical Examiner Dr. Christopher Kiefer stated that the incident involving the strawberries appears to be an isolated allergic reaction,” said Dennis Beach, director of the Hopkins County Health Department. “He said this is just a preliminary report, so we still recommend not eating strawberries at this time.”
Authorities did not say whether the boy had a previous allergy to strawberries.
After the little boy’s death, the Hopkins County Health Department issued a warning on social media not to eat any strawberries purchased at a Hopkins County school fundraiser.
“Currently, the Department of Public Health and Environmental Protection is taking strawberry samples to the state laboratory for testing. While this incident may be unrelated, we have decided to err on the side of caution and recommend against the consumption of any of these strawberries,” Hopkins County said. Ministry wrote.
The organization said in a follow-up post that medical examiner Dr. Christopher Kiefer said the incident “appears to be an isolated allergic reaction,” noting, “He stated this is a preliminary report, so we still recommend against consumption at this time. strawberry” “.
