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dixiegrrrrl

(60,010 posts) Wed Nov 23, 2016, 01:32 AM Nov 2016

3rd person confirmed dead following rare thunderstorm asthma epidemic in Melbourne

A THIRD person has died after Melbourne’s chaotic thunderstorm lead to an asthma epidemic.

Thunderstorm asthma, an extremely rare phenomenon witnessed just four times in the past 30 years, struck thousands of Melburnians.
It happens when pollen granules rupture from moisture in the air. They break up into hundreds of tiny particles that find their way into human lungs and make breathing difficult.

The attacks came out of nowhere on Monday and followed a blisteringly hot morning.
Temperatures in Melbourne reached a top of 35C, but it was the combination of strong winds, a high pollen count and moisture in the air that made conditions particularly dangerous.

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/melbournes-thunderstorm-asthma-victims-named-as-hope-carnevali-20-and-omar-moujalled-18/news-story/c8c761ea1fa5056e82e0f601bab1d934

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3rd person confirmed dead following rare thunderstorm asthma epidemic in Melbourne (Original Post) dixiegrrrrl Nov 2016 OP

How incredibly sad canetoad Nov 2016 #1

That's awful! I've never heard of such a thing. The Velveteen Ocelot Nov 2016 #2

It gets worse canetoad Nov 2016 #3

Those poor people....what a shock to their families. dixiegrrrrl Nov 2016 #4

canetoad

(17,168 posts)

1. How incredibly sad

Reply to dixiegrrrrl (Original post)

Wed Nov 23, 2016, 01:53 AM

Nov 2016

The first two to die were both young people - 18 and 22 I think. Absolutely tragic.

I'm 2 hours east of Melbourne, we had the thunderstorm here, so far no one in this small town seems to have been adversely affected.

The Velveteen Ocelot

(115,733 posts)

2. That's awful! I've never heard of such a thing.

Reply to dixiegrrrrl (Original post)

Wed Nov 23, 2016, 01:54 AM

Nov 2016

canetoad

(17,168 posts)

3. It gets worse

Reply to dixiegrrrrl (Original post)

Wed Nov 23, 2016, 02:34 AM

Nov 2016

Fourth person has just died. I believe there were so many calls to emergency services that ambulances took a while to reach some people.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/i-cant-believe-hes-gone-third-victim-of-thunderstorm-asthma-identified-as-apollo-papadopoulos-20161123-gsvprp.html

Four people have now been confirmed dead after the outbreak of "thunderstorm asthma" that swept across Melbourne on Monday night.

Melbourne father-of-two Clarence Leo is believed to have died in the early hours of Tuesday after suffering a massive asthma attack.

dixiegrrrrl

(60,010 posts)

4. Those poor people....what a shock to their families.

Reply to canetoad (Reply #3)

Wed Nov 23, 2016, 01:28 PM

Nov 2016

How is it we have never heard of such a thing

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