Rash of Rashes in Schools Perplexes CDC

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Rash of Rashes in Schools Perplexes CDC

Mysterious outbreak has now spread to 27 states

By Gardner

HealthScoutNews Reporter

THURSDAY, June 20 (HealthScoutNews) -- Federal health officials are

scratching their heads over a mysterious set of rashes now afflicting

schoolchildren in 27 states. An initial report issued by the Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in March reported outbreaks in 14

states: Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Mississippi, New

York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington and West

Virginia.

Since then, another 13 states have joined the list, says the CDC. The new

states are: Alabama, Alaska, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine,

land, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, and New Jersey.

Similar rashes have also been reported in Canada.

Although the number of reported rashes is growing, " there's still no

evidence for a common cause for all of the reports, " CDC spokesman Mike

Groutt says. " Investigations have identified causes for some of the rashes

occurring in some of the schools. Regardless of the cause of the rashes,

including those of unknown origin, reports indicate that they are

self-limiting and affected children have few if any accompanying signs or

symptoms. "

No single cause has been identified, and the CDC emphasizes there's no

evidence that all of the rashes are linked. Officials have also been quick

to point out that rashes are common among schoolchildren and can be caused

by a variety of factors. They include medications, dry or sensitive skin,

eczema, allergies, viral infections and environmental factors.

However, the recent spate of rashes have raised concern because they've

occurred simultaneously in various locales across the nation. They also

began in the wake of Sept. 11 and subsequent anthrax attacks.

Between October 2001 and May 2002, rashes were reported among groups of

schoolchildren at about 110 U.S. elementary, middle and high schools. The

number of children affected at each school ranged from five to 274 (or less

than 1 percent to 47 percent of the student population). Girls accounted for

varying proportions of the affected -- from 33 percent to 100 percent.

The rashes themselves also had varied characteristics. Most children

reported an itchy, sunburn-like rash on the cheeks and arms, a burning

sensation on the skin or a hive-like reaction that moved from one part of

the body to another. They tended to go away on their own, either within in

an hour or sometimes not for more than a month.

Some states have managed to track down a cause. In New York, an outbreak

among 242 elementary and middle-school students (representing 7 percent of

the population of their school district) between January and April was

determined to be the result of parvovirus B19, which causes fifth disease,

an infection of red blood cells. Alaska, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, and

Mississippi have also had cases associated with parvovirus B19.

Other outbreaks might be psychogenic -- a response to seeing another child

with a rash.

For the meantime, the CDC seems to be playing it cool, emphasizing the

rashes do go away on their own and that most children don't have any other,

more disruptive symptoms. The organization " is continuing to monitor reports

of groups of schoolchildren with rashes and is providing technical

assistance to state and local health departments, " the researchers report in

tomorrow's issue of the CDC publication Morbidity and Mortality Weekly

Report.

What To Do

The outbreaks are likely to end as the school year closes. Learn more about

school health from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Also, the

New York State Department of Health has a primer on fifth disease.

SOURCES: Mike Groutt, spokesman, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

Atlanta; June 21, 2002, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report

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