The students were vomiting and itching. The establishment has been temporarily closed while research continues to establish the causes of these symptoms.
The cause of this mysterious illness is still unknown. Since Thursday, May 30, around sixty students and several adults have felt unwell while going to the canteen of the Fère-Champenoise school group, in Marne. Each time, the prefecture stressed that their state of health did not inspire “no worries“. Initially favored, carbon monoxide poisoning remains considered, but all avenues are being studied by investigators.
The first symptoms appeared on Thursday, May 30, when 21 children and one adult suddenly suffered from vomiting and itching on the way to the canteen. Two students and an adult were then hospitalized for a few hours in Romilly-sur-Seine. The emergency services dispatched to the site carried out an investigation into the school premises, then the students finally returned to classes in the afternoon.
But on Friday May 31, do it again. Around twenty children presented the same symptoms in the afternoon. This time, the firefighters tested all 170 students at the establishment and 22 of them were hospitalized in Épernay, Châlons-en-Champagne and Romilly-sur-Seine. “All those with a rate of more than 4% CO2», specifies the prefecture which emphasizes that the origin of the discomfort remained unknown but that “the possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning, initially ruled out, [restait] in the study“.
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“All avenues are studied”
At the same time, the mayor of the town announced the closure of the establishment for Monday June 3. On that day, children in school up to CE2 are welcomed at the town’s House of Associations, while CM1 and CM2 students go to the college premises. But again, on both sites, vomiting and itching seized 19 students and one adult from the school group during the lunch break and in the afternoon. Income on site, firefighters and caregivers take care of the sick. After a new battery of tests on all the elementary school students, 10 children and one adult were still transported to hospital.
Firefighters, SAMU and the environmental health service of the Regional Health Agency (ARS) were mobilized to work together and determine the causes of this illness. But these remained unclear this Tuesday. “Carbon monoxide poisoning remains considered but all avenues are being studied», Indicates the prefecture. Pollens? Presence of allergens in the air? The research teams intend to study all alternatives and proceed by elimination.
This morning, the prefect of Marne Henri Prévost visited the premises of the school group. He indicated that an Identification and Sampling Detection Vehicle (VDIP) had been made available by the Eastern defense zone. “It’s like a traveling laboratory made up of specialists who will be able to help us determine the causes of these symptoms.», specifies the prefecture Figaro. While waiting for the school to reopen, primary school children will continue to be welcomed at the Maison des associations and at the college.
