Mysterious Outbreak of Symptoms

A significant outbreak of unexplained illness occurred among a group of schoolgirls in Qom, Iran, beginning in December 2022. Initially presenting with symptoms such as shortness of breath and numbness after an unusual gas smell, the situation escalated to over 7,000 individuals affected across 100 schools within weeks. This incident coincided with widespread protests following the death of a woman detained for not properly wearing her hijab, leading to suspicions that the girls were being targeted through gas attacks as retaliation. Parents expressed outrage, believing these incidents were intentional attacks on girls' education, as the government failed to provide adequate protection for their children.