Soccer Team Gets Mystery Rash

Masterton (New Zealand):
Nine members of a Palmerston North junior soccer team are recovering after being struck down by a mystery rash that required the children to be hospitalised for observation.
The Marist-Anza team - comprising eight boys and three girls - travelled to Masterton for a regional soccer competition, and stayed at the Copthorne Solway Park Hotel.
The team finished second in the competition, and spent about three hours on Wednesday afternoon taking a celebratory splash in an indoor swimming pool at the hotel.
Later, the children - aged 11 and 12 - showered for dinner. It was then that the rash began to manifest itself.
Team coach Donna Hatton told the Manawatu Standard the rash first appeared on the children's legs, but soon spread across their bodies.
Before long, "they were starting to burn, and were starting to get upset", she said.
The children arrived at the accident and emergency department at Masterton Hospital, were given antihistamine and held for observation until about 3am yesterday.
Two of the youngsters - including Mrs Hatton's 12-year-old son, Aaron - had a particularly severe reaction to the rash.
"It was terrible. He was swelling, and they had to put eight to 10 wet flannels all over his body - front and back.
"He looked like he had sunstroke."
A Public Health spokeswoman yesterday confirmed the situation and said the matter had been passed on to the Masterton District Council.
Council inspectors checked the pool and found that all chemical levels in the pool were normal, Mrs Hatton said.
Sept. 30, 2005
David Eames, Stuff.co.nz