US Medical Sleuths Try To Figure Out Mysterious Rash

Ananova ^ | 2-16-2002

[blam]

US medical sleuths try to figure out mysterious rash

Hundreds of youngsters in at least seven US states have broken out in mysterious rashes.

Health investigators suspect it might be caused by a new or yet-to-be-identified virus.

The red, itchy rash appears to be more an annoyance than a serious health threat, but it has managed to temporarily close schools.

Students in Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio, Oregon and Washington state have complained about rashes on the face, arms, legs and body. For the most part, the rash goes away when the students leave school.

"For something like this to occur almost simultaneously in different parts of the country is, to my knowledge, unprecedented," said Dr Norman Sykes, who examined about 30 suburban Philadelphia students who came down with the rash this month.

In the Quakertown Community School District, where nearly 170 students at all nine schools are confirmed to have the rash, an environmental company collected air and water samples and examined carpets, floor mats, vacuum bags and clothing, but all tested negative for contaminants.

Most school systems have ruled out an environmental cause, but not the Peninsula School District in Gig Harbor, Washington, where more than 50 students and teachers complained about a rash.

Test results showed an abnormally high level of dust, dandruff and skin particles - probably caused by an overactive ventilation system that took too much moisture out of the air.

"People are very concerned about their children," said Peninsula Superintendent Jim Coolican, who does not suspect a virus. "We say it's not a long-term problem, but people say, 'How do you know? How do you know it won't be a problem for my child 10 years from now?'"

Dr Suzanne Jenkins, of the Virginia Department of Health, also suspects a virus as yet unknown by science. The virus probably lives in the gastrointestinal tract, and can be spread by coughing, sneezing or failing to wash one's hands after using the bathroom, the epidemiologist said.

Story filed: 11:25 Saturday 16th February 2002

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

This rash in actually in my son's school - named above in the article.... it began in one of the oldest buildings in our district, then spread to the closest elementary school - then on to the next building, which was the High School....eerie, but seemed to be contained to the older buildings - I suspected some type of mold - mild winter, old radiator heating systems....

But when it began this past week in my son's building, which is a two year old building with a totally different type of heating system, I changed my opinion - I believe it is going to turn out to be viral --

The District did a great job of getting in experts in many fields to try to find a cause and solution.