The following letter outlines a few concerns we have about the handling of the Histoplasmosis outbreak in our High School. This letter was published in the Shelbyville News, December of 2001
On November 29th, 2001, an article appeared on the front page of the Shelbyville News, (See article #1), "Colds, flu keep SHS students out of school". The article talked about how 1/4 of the schools students were out sick, but only Shelbyville high school was effected. No other schools in the county had a problem with high absences.
After reading this article, I looked at my Husband and said, "there is something in the high school making the kids sick, it is the only place they all go, that no one else goes, (other than the Teachers, who were also getting sick), so it is only logical they are getting sick inside the school. Our daughter was sick as was most of her friends. Why I did not try to get someone to listen to me and investigate the high school, I do not know, but I feel if I was able to figure it out, then someone else should have been able to figure it out as well, like the Health Dept., but no one did.
On December 17th Shelbyville High School was closed due to Histoplasmosis in the schools air ducts, (see article #2). It was stated by Dr. John Fleming, (Shelby County's Health Officer), that he believed the Histoplasmosis entered the school through some air handlers that are located near an area were some trees had been removed a few weeks earlier. He also stated that he felt the danger of exposure had passed, because the incubation period was over. In fact the school was closed despite the opinion of Dr. Fleming that all danger had passed. It was actually Howard Cundiff, (director of consumer protection at the Indiana State Board of Health), he felt it was the prudent thing to do and he was right, only it should have been done in November when the Health Department saw how many students were out sick.
I am no Doctor, but having a child with Autism and a child who is a Cancer survivor, I had to learn some basic things as far as the medical world is concerned, and when something new comes my way that affects my children, I have to research it and find out all I can about whatever it is. This is what I did with Histoplasmosis and was quite shocked as soon as I started my research, that Dr Fleming said all danger was passed. I have listed links to the different web sites I have found on Histoplasmosis, read for yourself and I think you will see why I am so concerned. Just click on the link at the top of this page to go to the Histoplasmosis web links page.
My Husband spoke with a woman from the CDC on Saturday, December 22, and she stated that the problem we have here, is that because the Histoplasmosis went undetected, the children all received repeated high level exposures over an extended period of time, instead of the small, exposures you may get while gardening or playing in the dirt.
I don't understand why our County Health Officer was so unconcerned about this, that he didn't feel it necessary to close the school. Dr. Fleming knew there was Histoplasmosis in the school on December 13th, yet the school remained open, while Dr. Fleming questioned the "experts" to see what he should do! Once he knew for sure that there was something in the school causing the sickness he should have ordered the school closed IMMEDIATELY! However he chose to play Russian Roulette with our children's lives and allow them in the school, knowing full well that at least 350 of them had been very sick in the weeks prior to that day.
Dr. Fleming is a good person, but a good person does not always make the best County Health Officer. A Health Office should be someone who when faced with a situation were you know there is something, or has recently been something in a building that made a lot of people sick, they will close the building they moment they have confirmation of the "contaminate", and someone who would have, on November 29th said, lets do an investigation into the high school and see if we can find any reason that so many could be getting sick. Ask around to see if there was any other place all these kids had been that no one else had been. It all seems like normal things that should be questioned under this sort of circumstance.
Histoplasmosis Info Links
We hope the following links will help you to better understand Histo and it's long term effects.
Here is a great place for everyone who Loves helping others.
Random Acts of Kindness Suggestions
Send an Old Friend a Greeting Card Leave a Kind Note in a Guestbook Bake cookies and give them to someone that needs cheering up Call an elderly neighbor Pay the next toll/coffee/soda Leave a cheery note in dressing rooms/on desks/etc Surprise neighbors with packs of flower seeds Donate Food to the local Food Bank Volunteer at a Soup Kitchen Offer to baby-sit for a young mother to allow her some free time Hold the door open for someone Smile at someone Donate Blood
