Chapman School may reopen Monday

March 4, 2002

(see photo of rash)

February 26, 2002

SHERIDAN - Chapman Elementary School in Sheridan is closed again this

morning as school and health officials investigate the second outbreak of a

mysterious rash among students.

Meanwhile, Sheridan School District officials said this morning that at

least 10 students and one teacher at Falconer Grade School have developed

the rash; half of those students have siblings at Chapman Elementary.

Industrial hygienists will take air and mold samples of the Sheridan School

District's five schools on Thursday. Officials at Chapman said they would

like to reopen the school on Monday.

The school shut it's doors Monday after approximately 35 cases were reported

after students reported telltale symptoms. Not all of the cases reported

yesterday were new.

According to Principal Tim Graham, the cases represent a mixture of last

week's outbreaks which flared up again, coupled with completely new cases.

" We're turning it over the professionals at this point, " said Graham. " I

think part of the reason they didn't respond last Thursday was because this

outbreak resembled the rash in other states and in those cases it went away.

It didn't go away here. "

The exact cause of the rash remains an enigma because investigators have

been unable to pinpoint any common thread linking the cases.

According to Graham, the rash doesn't appear to be contagious since those

students who contracted it did not pass it on to their siblings or parents.

Females appear to be more susceptible to whatever is causing the rash; 80

percent of those affected at Chapman Elementary were female.

Symptoms include a red, itchy rash that may cover the face, arms, legs

and/or other parts of the body. The rash may appear and disappear rapidly.

The school was closed Friday after 58 elementary students and four adults

reported the rash on their arms and legs a day earlier. Earlier this month,

55 children and ten adults reported what appeared to be a similar rash in

Medford.

Health officials are trying to figure out whether there's a link between the

two rash outbreaks, as well as whether the rashes are related to outbreaks

reported in Washington, Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia, Virginia and

Ohio.

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