Mystery illness that hit students baffles officials
Fourteen students were taken by ambulance from their southwest elementary school to Alberta Children’s Hospital on Wednesday morning after they fell sick with flu- like symptoms, in an incident that has baffled officials.
While it was initially thought a carbon monoxide leak was behind the illness that struck Woodlands Elementary School, air monitoring by fire crews determined that wasn’t the case.
“It’s a bit of a mystery. Our crews did not find any traces of carbon monoxide,” said Fire Department spokeswoman Carol Henke.
Early Wednesday morning, several students attending class in the school’s band room began feeling sick and complaining of symptoms consistent with exposure to carbon monoxide, which include feeling dizzy, nauseous and vomiting.
Emergency personnel were called around 9: 25 a. m. The band room and the remainder of the school were quickly evacuated, with students and staff being kept warm on Calgary Transit buses.
The patients transported to hospital, ranging in age from eight to 10, were taken from the school to Alberta Children’s Hospital in stable, non- life threatening condition, said Stuart Brideaux with EMS.
Another student was assessed by EMS and released to the care of her parents.
“A total of 11 EMS resources attended the scene including five transport units in which students were transported in groups of two or three per ambulance to hospital,” EMS said in a news release.
Henke said the fire department’s Hazmat team searched the music room with sensitive equipment to see if any other chemicals were behind the illness, but came up empty.
“We found absolutely no chemical or gas ... no reasons why these symptoms might be present,” Henke said.
After a thorough investigation, students were allowed back in the school shortly before noon.
We found absolutely no chemical or gas ... no reason why these symptoms might be present.