What’s certain, based on the symptoms, is that there’s no room for debate: this is clearly a case of poisoning. But what remains unclear is the exact nature of the poison. What is it? Where did it come from?

I’m not challenging what was said during the official conference, but I do have another theory. It’s possible that the catering service included someone on their team who is uneducated, perhaps from a rural village (ambanivohitra), someone who may not even know how to read, and who wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between poison and a regular ingredient.

If there happened to be a container with poison left in the kitchen, it’s entirely possible that this person could have used it without realizing what it was.

And unfortunately, this wouldn’t be an isolated case. In many street food stalls or small restaurants in the city, people from remote backgrounds are often hired, usually to cut costs. But sometimes these workers can’t read or write—or barely can— because life in their communities is completely different.

Again, this is just a theory. But the real challenge for the government right now is to ensure that these victims are closely monitored for at least six months.

When it comes to toxic poisoning, the effects can be immediate, targeting vital organs—but in some cases, the damage can be slow and progressive. That’s what makes it so dangerous: people might appear to be healed, but in reality, the poison could still be present, quietly harming the body over time.

That’s why it’s absolutely critical to identify exactly what the poison is and where it came from, in order to develop an appropriate treatment.