Epidemic of asthma possibly associated with electrical storms

Abstract
EDITOR, - Intense nationwide interest has arisen in an epidemic of asthma that occurred overnight on 24 and 25 June in the south of England and coincided with electrical storms. Between 11 pm on 24 June and 7 am on 25 June our accident and emergency and acute admissions departments saw 39 asthmatic patients. Over a similar period last year the two units saw only one patient with asthma. The patients tended to be young adults, with a median age of 28. …