By Carma Hassan and Asher Moskowitz, CNN
(CNN) — Seven elementary students in Virginia have fallen ill after ingesting items from a bag that later tested positive for fentanyl, the Amherst County Public Schools superintendent said.
Five students sought medical care for their symptoms, including two students who were taken to a hospital by ambulance, the school district said in a statement Tuesday.
A second statement from the school district said the bag with the items the students ingested “indicated a positive reaction for fentanyl” during a field test by the Amherst County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office and public safety officials in Amherst County – about 25 minutes north of Lynchburg – are investigating the incident in conjunction with the school.
CNN contacted the sheriff’s office for additional information.
Synthetic opioids – primarily involving the powerful drug fentanyl – are the main driver of US overdose deaths, with nearly a 7.5-fold increase overall from 2015 to 2021, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Overdoses and poisoning are the third leading cause of death in kids and adolescents age 19 and younger.
In September, a 1-year-old boy died after he and three other children were apparently exposed to fentanyl at a Bronx day care center, authorities said. The day care provider, her husband and his cousin have been indicted on murder and other charges.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
CNN’s Katia Hetter and Holly Yan contributed to this report.
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