Shortness of breath after physical education

Nine schoolgirls hospitalized for mysterious breathlessness

06/06/2014

At a secondary school in Höchstadt on the Aisch (Erlangen-Höchstadt district in Middle Franconia) eleven students had to be treated medically after an 800-meter run at the nearby sports field due to shortness of breath. Nine of them were hospitalized in the face of massive complaints. In the afternoon, the authorities gave the all-clear that serious health damage was apparently not to be feared, reports the „Nuremberg newspaper“ on her online portal „Nordbayern.de“.

The 15-year-old schoolgirls had already complained in part during the race about breathing difficulties. When they finally returned from the sports field to the school grounds, according to the media reports, a total of eleven girls suffered from sore throat and respiratory problems. First, three girls from the school medical service of the junior high school were first supplied before the emergency medical service was alerted. Numerous ambulances and an ambulance then arrived at the school grounds. „Six girls were taken to a hospital in Erlangen, three came to Bamberg“, she writes „Nuremberg newspaper“.

Cause of respiratory distress unclear
The possible causes of respiratory complaints are currently unknown. According to media reports, gas leakage was ruled out by the fire department. The groundskeeper ruled out contamination with fertilizer and pesticides. A potential trigger could be the hairs of caterpillars or oak processions, which are transported by the wind and can cause corresponding discomfort when entering the lungs. However, the authorities do not assume that the caterpillar hairs were the cause of respiratory distress, even if smaller nests were found in the area, reports the „Nuremberg newspaper“. At first, the sports field remains closed to use until the Landrats- und Umweltamt has carried out further investigations and measurements. (Fp)

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