Salem Costco evacuation mirrored those in other states (mystery illness)

SALEM - The authorities still don't know what made 28 people sick at a Costco in southeast Salem. Dr. Karen Landers, Marion County Health Department medical officer, initially suggested that victims fell ill at the sight of other people becoming sick.

But Marlene Ivey, 46, of Salem, one of the first five people to become ill last week, does not buy that.

"I understand the doctor's logic," Ivey said. "But I think she needed to consider each individual in making her assessment. I found it really patronizing and a fairly easy label."

The Salem case shares similarities with two other evacuations at large retail stores.

In April 2002, authorities evacuated a Wal-Mart in Mirimar, N.J., after 17 people began complaining of nausea and vomiting. The store was closed for more than three hours while the cause was investigated.

In June 2003, The Publix supermarket in St. Petersburg, Fla., was evacuated after several people complained of throat irritation and coughing. Twenty-five people were affected.

The three incidents had common elements. Customers complained of symptoms such as throat irritation, nausea and dizziness; store officials evacuated their buildings; and public safety officials - mindful of anthrax scares and terrorist attacks - increased their response. In the Salem incident, even the FBI was notified.

Steve Hester, coordinator of Salem Fire Department's hazardous-materials team, said workers tested for several telltale gases but nothing was found.

Ivey, a former social worker, arrived at Costco about 11 a.m. on Nov. 18, "feeling great" and with 30 minutes to spare.

"I bought a shirt and went into the restroom to try it on," she said. "When I came out, I noticed two people laying down, but they were being assisted, so I didn't worry about it."

Ivey said she was engrossed in her shopping and returned to the clothing area. Soon, employees were evacuating the store.

"I was exiting the building and it hit me," Ivey said. "I started to get dizzy, and I felt like I was going to drop. I told them, 'I think I'm going to throw up."' She was taken outside and told to put her head between her legs.

"The employees treated the situation like it was a disaster," she said. "They practically pushed me into the ambulance.

Bryan Lee, a Salem paramedic, said it was after evaluating the patients that he felt something going on with his own throat. The incident commander encouraged him to have it checked out.

Of course, it could always be "nothing", as in some cleaning fluid or fumes or something "accidental", we are just more consciuos and concerned -- OR it could be a test run of terrorists.

See earlier article:

200 Evacuated at Costco Salem, Oregon

The two articles mention a total of 4 incidents over the past year and a half -- all with similar symptoms.

Then, believe it or not, since I haven't seen confirmation in the mainstream media, there is the story about people getting sick in banks.

"10-29-03**

**Actual event took place on 10-7-03 Texas and CA attack with chemical weapons hidden in small aerosol sprayers financial institutions law enforcement advisory and approx. 22 eyewitnesses in bank Extremely High COMMENT: male described as Middle Easterner entered a bank in Concord, CA and began spraying a substance in the air from a small aerosol can. Approx. 20 minutes after being exposed, 13 people in bank at the time of dispersal became sick. Symptoms included dizziness, shortness of breath and chest pain. Scent likened to that associated with tabun (GA nerve agent). This event may be a trial run as stated by NE Intelligence Network concerning "perfume" - terrorist word for chemical weapons.

Steve Quayle Alert

As I said, who knows. I am more concerned that in the 4 events mentioned in the main media, they didn't find the cause.

I also remember reading something recently about people getting sick in a metro, there they found traces of pepper spray -- again, could have been a prank or a test run. ( I don't have the link to that one)

Mass Psychogenic Illness

What is mass psychogenic illness?

Mass psychogenic illness is when groups of people (such as a class in a school or workers in an office) start feeling sick at the same time even though there is no physical or environmental reason for them to be sick.

Is mass psychogenic illness common?

Mass psychogenic illness has been talked about and written about for hundreds of years, all around the world and in many different social settings. No one keeps track of these outbreaks, but they are probably a lot more common than we realize.

What causes an outbreak of mass psychogenic illness?

Many outbreaks of mass psychogenic illness start with an environmental "trigger." The environmental trigger can be a bad smell, a suspicious-looking substance or something else that makes people in a group believe they have been exposed to a germ or a poison.

When an environmental trigger makes a group of people believe they might have been exposed to something dangerous, many of them may begin to experience signs of sickness at the same time. They might experience headache, dizziness, faintness, weakness or a choking feeling. In some cases, one person gets sick and then other people in the group also start feeling sick.

How do we know an outbreak of sickness is caused by mass psychogenic illness?

The following might indicate that a group sickness is caused by mass psychogenic illness:

Many people get sick at the same time.
Physical exams and tests show normal results.
Doctors can't find anything in the group's environment that would make people sick (for example, some kind of poison in the air).

The patterns of the outbreak (for example, the kinds of illnesses that are reported, the kinds of people who are affected, the way the illness spreads) might also give evidence of mass psychogenic illness.

However, if the following are true, you should see your doctor to be checked for a different reason for your health problem:

Your illness lasts several days.
You have a fever.
Your muscles are twitching.
Tears keep coming from your eyes.
Your skin feels like it has been burned.

Why do people with mass psychogenic illness feel sick?

Think of how "stage fright" can cause nausea, shortness of breath, headache, dizziness, a racing heart, a stomachache or diarrhea. Your body can have a similar strong reaction to the stressful situations involved in mass psychogenic illness. Outbreaks of mass psychogenic illness show us how much stress and other people's feelings and behavior can effect the way we feel.

People who feel sick in an outbreak of mass psychogenic illness really believe it is possible that they have been exposed to something harmful. For example, when several cases of anthrax infection were confirmed in the United States, it was easy for people to believe it could happen to them too.

An outbreak of mass psychogenic illness is a time of anxiety and worry. During an outbreak, a lot of media coverage and the presence of ambulances or emergency workers can make you and other people feel more anxious and at risk. At such a time, if you hear about someone getting sick or if you see someone get sick, it can be enough to make you feel sick too.

Does this mean that the sickness is "all in my head"?

No, it doesn't. People who are involved in these outbreaks have real signs of sickness that are not imagined. They really do have headaches, or they really do feel dizzy. But in cases of mass psychogenic illness, these symptoms are not caused by a poison or a germ. The symptoms are caused by stress and anxiety, or by your belief that you have been exposed to something harmful.

Psychogenic illness can affect normal, healthy people. Just because you reacted this way to the threat of something dangerous does not mean there is something wrong with your mind.

How can an outbreak of mass psychogenic illness be stopped?

Most of these outbreaks stop when people get away from the place where the illness started. The signs of illness tends to go away once people are examined and doctors tell them that they do not have a dangerous illness. It is important to keep the people who feel sick away from the commotion and stress of the outbreak.

After experts check out the place where the outbreak started, they can tell people whether it is safe to go back to that place.

(Created 9/00)
(Updated 3/02)

Officials stumped by scare at Costco

LORI CAIN / Statesman Journal

Salem firefighters wait to go inside Costco on Nov. 18 after several people fell ill. Officials haven’t determined the cause of the incident.

No dangerous substances found.

Statesman Journal
November 28, 2003

The Salem Fire Department hazardous-materials team used several tests to determine what caused 28 people to become ill at Costco.

Steve Hester, the team’s coordinator, said that nerve gas immediately was ruled out because the symptoms of the patients didn’t indicate that it was a factor.

The team used pH paper to measure acid and alkaline substances. The paper, used in most chemistry classes, changes color when coming in contact with either of the elements.

They first tested for three gases: oxygen, carbon monoxide and ammonia.

By testing for oxygen, the team was able to determine whether the oxygen level was increasing or decreasing, either of which could indicate that something is burning.

The team also used a device to measure for a gas caused by a refrigerant leak coming in contact with a heat source. The gas is called phosgene.

Symptoms from exposure to phosgene include coughing, a burning sensation in the throat and eyes, watery eyes, blurred vision, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting.

None of the gases were found in the air at Costco, but officials said that the gases could have dissipated before crews got into the building.

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