Thousands were hospitalized in Melbourne and other parts of Victoria this Monday with breathing problems due to a strange combination of pollen and weather conditions.
A week later, another 12 people are receiving hospital treatment, including 3 that are in critical condition, according to the health authorities of that country.
'Storm asthma' occurs when a storm strikes during an unusual period of high concentration of pollen and moisture, which causes the kernels to break and disperse, entering people's lungs and making breathing difficult.
In a survey by the University of Melbourne, 74% of respondents said they had experienced an asthma attack during the storm last week.
Health emergency
Although pollen is the most common cause of 'storm asthma', attacks can also be caused by high levels of tree pollen and fungal spores in the atmosphere.
"This varies by geography," said Aziz Sheikh, a professor of Basic Care and Development at the University of Edingburgh, adding that pollen from olive trees, for example, has been found at asthma events in patients from Italy in years Past
The levels of fungal spores in the atmosphere reach a high point during harvesting, and those can also break and fly in the wind during large storms due to high atmospheric pressure, according to Sheikh.
An official review of how Victoria emergency services have been responding to 'storm asthma' cases is currently underway.
More than 60 extra ambulances had to be put into operation to respond to the more than 1,900 emergency calls they received in four hours, one call every 4 or 5 seconds.
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