Incidence of illness at the Wenigenjena community school clarified

The recurring illnesses of pupils at the special school section of the Wenigenjena community school have kept the school, parents, the health department and the Jena municipal real estate company busy in recent weeks. Extensive tests and measurements have been carried out in collaboration with an external laboratory. The cause of the illness has now been fully clarified.

The tests have shown that all building and facility-related parameters are within the specified tolerance values and are unremarkable. It has also been established that the illnesses can be traced back to a bacterium (environmental germ) that caused the gastrointestinal upsets in the children described.

It is highly probable that this bacterium was introduced by a biological host, i.e. a child, a member of staff or contaminated food brought in privately. The spores of the bacterium, which were found on the floor or on the furniture and surfaces used by the children and teaching staff, led to a new infection every week. The bacteria could not be completely removed by the cleaning agents and disinfectants that were regularly used.

The necessary hygiene measures were agreed between the health department, the school management and the city of Jena as the school authority. In future, these will be taken into account more closely when teaching and looking after the children. The aim is for the school to be able to reopen the affected wing of the building after the corona-related lockdown and to prevent the children and teaching staff from becoming infected again.