23-07-2025
A children's choir was performing. Then 8 were hospitalized with 'seizure like' symptoms.
Eight children were hospitalized after experiencing "seizure like symptoms" during a church choir performance in Massachusetts on July 22, officials said.
The choir group, which included children aged 11 to 13, was performing at St. Paul Parish in Cambridge when some of them began experiencing the symptoms, John Gelinas, Cambridge Fire Department's media manager, confirmed to USA TODAY.
Officials responded to the church around 7:30 p.m. local time. All eight children were evaluated and treated on scene before being transported to local medical facilities with non-life-threatening injuries, Gelinas said.
About 70 other people in attendance at the concert were not affected, Gelinas said.
"We have no further update this morning on the conditions of the youths treated and transported," Gelinas said on July 23.
Cambridge Police also responded to the scene, according to Gelinas. USA TODAY has contacted the department.
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Hazmat teams tested church where 8 were hospitalized
After the incident, the concert attendants and the rest of the occupants inside the building left the scene with designated chaperones, Gelinas said.
Cambridge Fire's hazardous materials, also known as the hazmat team, "completed a thorough survey of the St. Paul buildings," Gelinas said.
Air sampling meters tested the building for hazardous conditions, but the results were negative. The buildings were ventilated, Gelinas said.
French youth choir was performing free concert before incident
St. Paul Parish, which is located in Harvard Square, said in a Facebook post that the Children's Choir of Île-de-France was performing a free concert on July 22.
The group was offering a free concert at the church as part of a U.S. tour, St. Paul's said.
"The concert will feature an exciting mix of sacred and secular repertoire, as well as popular French songs," the post said.
According to its website, the Children's Choir of Île-de-France was founded by French singer Francis Bardot.
USA TODAY has reached out to St. Paul Parish and the Children's Choir of Île-de-France.
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at