How an insect repellent left almost a dozen hospital staff sick

An accidental release of an outdoor insect repellent at Flinders Medical Centre's emergency department led to 11 staff members falling ill early on July 24, 2026. The incident occurred around 2 a.m. when a staff member inadvertently knocked the lid off the repellent while checking a patient's belongings. The aerosolized insecticide fogged the area, causing predominantly respiratory symptoms among the affected staff, including shortness of breath and difficulty breathing.

Three of the 11 staff members required hospitalization due to their symptoms. While one was initially in serious but stable condition, all three were discharged later that evening. SA Health chief executive Robyn Lawrence confirmed that no patients were affected by the incident. The Metropolitan Fire Service was called to the scene later that morning to ensure the area was thoroughly cleaned and to conduct atmospheric and surface tests to confirm no contamination remained.

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As staff became unwell, we got concerned we needed additional support to manage the scene to make sure it was safe for staff and our patients.

Following the incident, 12 beds in the emergency department were temporarily closed for safety reasons but have since reopened. SA Health stated that resources were redirected to manage the load on other facilities during the brief closure. The Australian Medical Association in South Australia acknowledged the incident and expressed confidence that SA Health would conduct a thorough investigation to learn from the event and improve safety protocols.

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We won't comment until the details are released by SA Health. We're absolutely confident that SA Health will undertake the appropriate processes to ensure that there is an investigation, and any learning from it we would hope will improve our situation.