More Illness Reported at Hopkins Keswick Facility

(UPDATE 9:48 p.m.)—Days after 21 employees reported being ill, and caused the closure of Johns Hopkins at Keswick complex, seven more people were taken to area hospitals on Monday.

Chief Kevin Cartwright, a Baltimore Fire Department spokesman, said the department was called to the complex, 3910 Keswick Road twice, once after 10 a.m. and again after 2 p.m. to respond to a report of illness.

He said the employees complained of dizziness, nausea and headache. A total of 12 people reported feeling ill, according to a Baltimore Health Department news release.

Initially Cartwright said five people were taken to area hospitals.

Hazmat units checked the building and could not find a hazard. The Baltimore Health Department, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and Hopkins are continuing to test water in the south building at the complex, according to a news release. 

The south building will be closed on Tuesday for conitued testing. The north building will be open. 

Last week 23 people in all—two employees reported to emergency rooms the morning after the initial outbreak—reported trouble breathing. An inspection by the Health Department concluded that nitrates in a hot water heater caused the illness.