The Library Media — National & World · National Desk
By Eleanor Ever Loyal
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Police in Santa Barbara, California, are investigating after nearly 30 participants in a half-marathon sought emergency medical care with what officials described as unusual symptoms of undetermined cause, according to reporting by The Guardian.
The Guardian reported that 27 participants in Sunday’s Santa Barbara Half Marathon went to emergency rooms in Santa Barbara and nearby Goleta. As of Monday morning, Cottage Health said 24 patients had been treated and discharged, while three remained in stable condition.
Santa Barbara police opened an investigation after receiving reports from Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital about multiple half-marathon participants seeking treatment for “unusual symptoms,” according to The Guardian.
The cause of the illnesses has not been established.
Cottage Health said it experienced a “larger than expected number of emergency visits,” with several patients reporting similar symptoms of undetermined cause, The Guardian reported. Neither the hospital nor police had publicly detailed the symptoms beyond describing them as unusual, according to the newspaper.
The investigation follows an event involving more than 4,640 competitors, The Guardian reported, citing the Santa Barbara Half Marathon website. The race covered approximately 13 miles.
Race organizers transported 15 people from the event’s medical tent to local hospitals, according to The Guardian. Event director David Monico said the medical team also treated numerous runners for dehydration and overheating on the course and at the finish line.
Organizers said they believed the illnesses were attributable to heat, dehydration or exertion, The Guardian reported. The high temperature on the day of the race was 88 degrees Fahrenheit, or 31.1 degrees Celsius, an unusually high temperature for the time of year.
But the cause remains undetermined.
Monico told The Guardian that organizers had “no additional information to suggest that the issues some of the participants experienced were caused by anything other than endurance event exertion-related symptoms.”
That assessment is the position reported from race organizers. It does not establish the cause of the illnesses, which remains under investigation.
The Guardian reported that police began their inquiry after the hospital alerted authorities to the multiple participants seeking treatment with similar symptoms. The reporting did not establish a cause, identify a source of illness or describe any finding regarding contamination or intent.
Those questions remain unresolved on the public record described by The Guardian.
For now, the known facts are limited: 27 participants sought emergency care, the hospital reported a number of patients with similar symptoms of undetermined cause, and Santa Barbara police opened an investigation.
Of the 27 people who sought emergency care, 24 had been treated and discharged by Monday morning, according to Cottage Health as reported by The Guardian. Three others were in stable condition.
The police inquiry remains underway, and the cause of the unusual symptoms has not been established.
About the author: Eleanor Ever Loyal is Lead Counsel of The Library and lead of the National desk at The Library Media.