New Jersey : undiagnosed illness sickens 65 people at Monmouth County Courthouse

[Gert van der Hoek]

Officials investigating cause of mysterious illness outbreak that led to closure of Monmouth courthouse

Published: Monday, June 18, 2012

FREEHOLD ? Nausea, chest pains, breathing difficulties, skin rashes ? those were just a few of the complaints of the 65 people who suddenly fell ill at Monmouth County Courthouse today.

It was the second time in two business days the courthouse had to be evacuated because of a mysterious problem and, as a result, the building will be closed Tuesday, county spokesperson William Heine said.

The mass illness brought more than a dozen ambulances, sheriff?s emergency vans and a county HazMat unit to the courthouse in Freehold Borough.

Read more: NJ.com

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: New Jersey : undiagnosed illness sickens 65 people at Monmouth County Courthouse

For Immediate Release:
June 19, 2012

Monmouth County Courthouse to remain closed Wednesday

Further testing to be conducted for cause of illness

FREEHOLD, NJ ? The Monmouth County Courthouse will remain closed tomorrow for additional testing of allergens ? substances derived from plants, animals or items that can be found on people?s desks. Once the testing is complete, the courthouse will be cleaned again.

?All the tests so far have ruled out the most probable causes for the symptoms that were reported by employees and other individuals with business at the courthouse,? said William K. Heine, director of Public Information for the county. ?We have ruled out possible causes that could be related to housekeeping, construction and general building maintenance.?

Tuesday night, the courthouse was tested for the presence of dust, pollen and mold on carpeting, chair fabric, desk surfaces and underneath desks. Nothing out of the ordinary was found. Levels of dust, mold and pollen were lower inside the building than outside the building.

To date, the county has checked the construction area of the courthouse?s East Wing and found nothing that would contribute to the symptoms of illness reported by the employees. Likewise, the heating and ventilation systems have been checked for leaks and none were found.

The air filters in entire building were changed over the weekend and again on Tuesday. The county has also determined that there has been no change in the regular cleaning of the building.

?The county continues to work with the state Judiciary to resolve this issue,? Heine said.

On Monday, more than 60 courthouse employees reported symptoms of illness that included shortness of breath, chest pain, palpitations, rash and dizziness. A triage and treatment area was established outside of the courthouse where all individuals with symptoms were properly evaluated by emergency medical professionals. Thirty people were taken to area hospitals with symptoms that included rash or hives, elevated blood pressure and difficulty breathing.

After the courthouse was closed at 1 p.m. on Monday, the State Police Hazardous Materials Unit tested the building?s interior for 25,000 different compounds and found nothing that would have contributed to the reported symptoms of illness.

The situation developed on Friday when 17 courthouse employees reported the same general symptoms of illness. Several individuals were confirmed to be diagnosed with allergic reactions. The affected area of the courthouse was thoroughly cleaned last weekend.

?If a courthouse employee or anyone having business at the courthouse is experiencing any of the symptoms, we encourage them to go to the emergency room or their private physician,? Heine said. ?We also ask that they contact the county health department at 732-431-7456 to report any symptoms.?

It is believed that there is no danger of person-to-person transmission. Anyone who was inside the courthouse since Friday should launder the clothes that they wore separately from other items. Individuals should also shower with soap and water as well.


http://co.monmouth.nj.us/PressDetail.aspx?ID=1133

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: New Jersey : undiagnosed illness sickens 65 people at Monmouth County Courthouse

For Immediate Release:

June 20, 2012

State to test air quality at county courthouse

Building will remain closed for the remainder of the week

FREEHOLD, NJ ? The state Department of Health and Senior Services will conduct prolonged air quality tests at the Monmouth County Courthouse on Thursday into Friday, which will require the building to remain closed at least through the weekend.

Testing that was conducted Tuesday night for common allergens ? substances derived from plants or animals ? turned up nothing out of the ordinary.
These and other tests were conducted after dozens of courthouse workers, all of whom are state employees, complained on Friday and again on Monday of shortness of breath, a skin rash, or in some cases elevated blood pressure. State health officials believe the cause is environmental.

All previous testing proved negative, including those for volatile compounds and such things as dust, mold or pollen. Previous air tests were short-term screenings, whereas the state now plans to collect air samples over a prolonged 24-hour period beginning sometime on Thursday.

?The safety, health and well-being of the employees and those who visit the courthouse are our top concern,? County Administrator Teri O?Connor said. ?This final testing may tell us what?s wrong, or at the very least alleviate any lingering fears people may have about the health of the building.?

Once the tests are complete, the entire building will be cleaned again. A determination about when business will resume at the courthouse will not be made until after the test results have been examined, which means the courthouse could be reopened early next week.

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http://co.monmouth.nj.us/PressDetail.aspx?ID=1135

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: New Jersey : undiagnosed illness sickens 65 people at Monmouth County Courthouse

More Reports of Illness at NJ Courthouse After Cleaning

As many as a dozen new cases involving the same symptoms that sent dozens to the hospital nearly two weeks ago have been reported

<META content="" itemprop="keywords">By Brian Thompson

| Thursday, Jun 28, 2012 | Updated 5:52 PM EDT

...
<!--endclickprintexclude-->On the first day it reopened Tuesday, four sheriff's deputies complained of illness, and two were taken to CentraState Medical Center for treatment, They were not hospitalized.

Several more workers fell ill Wednesday, and at least one was taken by ambulance to CentraState. The person taken by ambulance has pre-existing medical conditions that may have been triggered by something else, officials noted.
<!--endclickprintexclude-->
"The same symptoms that we saw when we had the mass number of patients -- chest tightness, throat tightness, transient rash," said Dr. Michael Jones, CentraState's chairman of emergency medicine.
...
Last week, officials decided to close the courthouse while the New Jersey Health Department conducted tests for a wide range of harmful chemicals. All results were within normal ranges, according to state officials, and the courthouse reopened Tuesday.
...
Full text:
http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/loca...k-Illness-After-Cleaning-Tests-160736665.html