THE DAIRY CATTLE JUDGING AT THE Royal Adelaide Show in Australia had to be moved today after 50 people came down with severe eye irritation. The first indication there was a problem arose Tuesday when most of the judges started getting a burning irritation and then their eyes started swelling shut. Then some of the spectators began showing the same symptoms and ambulances were getting dispatched to the agricultural show at the rate of one every few minutes.
Dairy cattle committee chairman David Fechner had spent the morning
announcing in the judging tents. His eyes began to feel sore at lunch time and by 10pm
he could barely open them. He said he had four litres of saline administered to each eye
and he was not allowed to leave until the pH in his eyes was below 8. “To be honest what it really
did feel like was a really bad case of welding flash,” he said. (Adelaide Now photo)
Nobody had any idea what was causing the problem and the ambulances began transporting some of the patients to the hospital where the doctors saw symptoms of a “chemical burn” but couldn’t pinpoint the cause. Giving the victims extensive, 30-minute eyewashes alleviated the problem and there has been no lingering effects nor permanent eye damage. The paramedics treated 30 victims on the scene and transported 20 more to the hospital
Health and agricultural officials are trying to find out what caused the outbreak, but they have been unable to so far. The leading theory says that recent heavy rains on the contaminated sawdust in the outdoor exhibits released ammonia vapors from the cattle urine and they reacted with the tear ducts to cause the minor burning. But not all agree with that position.
The judging tent stands on lawn and the flaps were closed on three sides to protect officials and
spectators from the elements. Those who remained in the tent for three hours or more were
most affected. Pesticides sprays and other ground treatments had been ruled out.
(Adelaide Now photo)
The tent area was closed today and the dairy cattle exhibit was relocated to another display area while health officials continue to seek the answer for the outbreak.
Adelaide Now has the full STORY.
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