Pearland HS band students sprayed with mosquito repellent

PEARLAND, TX (KTRK) -- Thursday morning, before the brutal heat took hold for the day, the Pearland High School was having its outdoor band practice in the days leading up to the new semester.

The noise probably drowned out the sound of a low flying plane. Then came the mist, without a cloud in the sky.

The band was in the zone of a daytime spraying operation conducted by the Brazoria County Mosquito Control department. Department Director Jim Ryan said no activity at the school was visible by air, so the pesticide identified as Dibrom was released in the area. Its concentration is said to be quarter ounce of the chemical per acre sprayed.

Pearland HS Principal Larry Berger said 300 students and staff outside when the mist began to fall took shelter in the school. "Some reported itching and others had irritated throats." EMS and the fire department were called. Those affected were checked at the scene and released, he says.

In addition to washing their clothes and musical instruments, students were told to take a long shower -- about 25 minutes.

According to the Mosquito Control Director, a similar spraying operation was to take place at another Pearland school; however, the pilot saw football players on the field, and cancelled the chemical release.

Principal Berger blames a lack of communication with the school district for the incident, saying people forget that school is often a year-round operation. "I think the pilot was just doing a pattern and it was part of the pattern. It was an accident, a freak accident that's never happened before."