Officials are closely monitoring the school to gauge the cause of an illness, which has affected mostly grade six students. (Photo by Theresa Gordon/OBSERVER media)

ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Health officials are this morning scrutinising the local primary school where a mystery illness has now affected more than 20 children.

Greenbay Primary pupils have been suffering symptoms including hyperventilation, tightness in the chest, abdominal cramps and dizziness.

The situation, which saw a dozen youngsters receive hospital treatment last Thursday, has intensified. Yesterday almost a dozen more, aged between 10 and 12, complained of similar symptoms.

General secretary of the Antigua & Barbuda Union of Teachers, Ashworth Azille, said, “We had some confirmation from the ministry of education that the Chief Medical Officer will be on site to monitor the situation in order to get first hand evidence of what is happening on site.”

Azille, who spoke to OBSERVER media last night, said teachers were expected to report for duty as normal today but the union would be monitoring the situation carefully.

The school was shut down last Friday to enable thorough cleaning to take place. But when classes resumed yesterday morning, more students, and reportedly a teacher too, fell ill.

Meanwhile, the entire grade-six wing has been evacuated with pupils temporarily relocated to a hall until further notice.

(More in today’s Daily OBSERVER)