A potentially fatal mould could be at the centre of a health scare that has closed CedarBridge Academy and may have spread unchecked for months through the air-conditioning system.

Teachers have become seriously ill and the entire school is today out of bounds after the alarming scale of the problem became apparent.

More than 1,000 students and staff have been told to stay away until further notice.

Health experts are trying to positively identify what has caused a spate of illness at the school and to locate its source.

A suggestion that the cause could be aspergillus mould, which at its most dangerous can have fatal consequences in humans, is being investigated.

Yet even as an immediate full scale clean-up of the school was ordered last night by Education Minister Randy Horton the school was hosting around 100 people attending a gang culture forum in the Ruth Seaton Auditorium. ZBM-TV news has reported at least two teachers are looking at their legal options because of health concerns.

Education permanent secretary Rosemary Tyrrell is amongst those said to have had breathing difficulties after visiting the school for only a short time.

Mr. Horton made the announcement during the 7 p.m. evening news, surrounded by Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Cann, principal Kalmar Richards, Mrs. Tyrrell, Permanent Secretary for Health Kevin Monkman, Works & Engineering permanent secretary Derrick Binns, the president of the Bermuda Union of Teachers president Lisa Trott, BUT organiser Mike Charles and others.

The decision to close the school came after consultation between the Education and Health Ministries and the Bermuda Union of Teachers.

?We are not comfortable that the education of our students can continue in a safe, healthy environment,? said Mr. Horton.

?I have therefore directed the school be closed while clean-up and mitigation efforts proceed, until such time as a comprehensive solution can be found.?

It is not known how long it will take to clean up the school but it is hoped the disruption can be limited to the next two weeks.

Plans are being drawn up to find activities for the displaced students next week, the following week is mid-term holiday.

A number of students were attending a meeting at the school last night and were unaware of the closure notice until informed by a reporter.

George Morris, 17, said: ?This school is not that old. How could this happen?

?I am concerned for my health and the health of my fellow classmates. I think we should all go to our doctors and get checked out.?

A meeting for CedarBridge Academy teachers and staff will be held today at 2 p.m. at the First Church of God, North Shore Road, Pembroke.

The Education Ministry has pledged to keep teachers, parents and the public informed of developments.

Asked how long the problem had existed Mr. Horton said: ?This is not something that just happened yesterday.?

It appears the first signs of a problem emerged months ago with a number of teachers reporting feeling unwell.

At the start of the new term in September a music room and a computer room were closed off, with some teachers saying the reason was because of mould.

By last week a growing emergency was evident when 20 classrooms were put out of action and students were relocated to trailer-type classrooms.

Problems with mould infestation at the school date back at least two years.

Teachers and students fell ill in late 2004 complaining or respiratory infections, allergies, sneezing and coughing.

Inspections were carried out at that time in specific areas of the school through to be harbouring airborne mould.

Dr. Cann last night confirmed there was a new contamination that needed to be removed, although test results were still to confirm whether aspergillus mould was present.

The mould has varying effect on the health of those who breath it in.

Most healthy people are unaffected, but it can cause respiratory difficulties for those with weakened immune system or pre-existing conditions such as asthma.

At its most harmful aspergillus mould can lead to disseminated or invasive aspergillosis that is known to cause death.

The BUT has decided not to hold its annual conference at CedarBridge as had previously been planned.

BUT president Lisa Trott, said: ?Teachers have been complaining for some time about illness ? over a period of months. The issue is verification of the problem.

?That has taken some time to do and get confirmation there is something there worth taking this type of action for.

?It is unknown how many teachers have been affected. Bermuda being Bermuda people suffer from allergies and colds and asthma all the time, so to identify who has become sick because of this particular thing is not known.

?There are a number of teachers who have experienced difficulties enough that the Ministry has taken this course of action.?

She said the Education Ministry had taken steps when the problem was first noticed and further tests had been made as more teachers became sick.

Mrs. Trott said teachers had been to their doctors and a number had been verified as ?quite seriously ill? as a result to exposure to something at the school.

She added: ?From what I understand there are problems in terms of the air conditioning and that kind of thing, so those areas extend throughout the school.

?Wise steps have now been taken until we know exactly what we are dealing with. Rather than speculate we are going to wait.

?Apparently there is an expert coming in (today) to give us those answers.?