Mysterious paralysing ‘illness’ hospitalises 95 schoolgirls in Kenya

Nearly a hundred schoolgirls in western Kenya have been hospitalized with a mysterious, crippling ‘disease’.

Government officials said 95 students at a school about 230 miles (374 kilometers) northwest of Nairobi had been shot.

According to local media reports, the students suddenly had difficulty walking, while videos on social media showed them unable to stand, convulsing and complaining of knee pain.

Health officials don’t know what’s behind their symptoms but have sent blood and urine samples to labs in Kenya.

However, some experts have questioned the disease, suggesting it may be a case of ‘mass hysteria’. Others have told local news media that students may be “wiping” their symptoms to avoid exams that are just weeks away.

Others have suggested that the symptoms mirror those of the nerve-damaging condition Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS).

It can cause paralysis of the arms, legs or face and leave patients with crippling pain.

In severe cases, it causes life-threatening problems, including breathing difficulties and blood clots. The condition is difficult to diagnose and kills about one in twenty people.

About one in 50,000 Britons and Americans gets GBS every year, usually after an infection in which the immune system becomes hyperactive.

Health Minister Susan Nakhumicha said no pathogens have been identified among the students of St. Theresa’s Eregi Girls High School.

Addressing members of the National Assembly’s National Investment Committee on Education and Governance, she said more tests would be conducted to determine the cause of the disease.

“We have been in contact with the director of public health and yesterday (Tuesday) 95 girls were admitted to hospital,” Ms Nakhumicha said.

“We expect to have a comprehensive report by the end of today (Wednesday).

“To date, five tests have been conducted and no pathogens have been identified.”

She added: “However, additional samples have been sent to the Kenya Medical Research Institute in Nairobi for further analysis.”

However, the BBC reported that experts believe there could be “mass hysteria” and said students threw stones at government officials who showed up at their school.

Jared Obiero, the western region’s education director, told the Daily nation that some students may be unwell, but the majority are ‘feigning their illness’.

He said: “The grade three students were supposed to start their end-of-year exams on Wednesday, but some of them are against the school curriculum and claim that they are not ready for exams.”

This means some of the students’ symptoms “may not be real,” he added.

Conflicting reports in local newspapers saw confusion over whether the school was temporarily closed. But the Department of Education confirmed yesterday it would remain open.

However, some parents have chosen to withdraw their children from school.

Local newspapers reported that Dr. Steven Wandei, the director of medical services in Kakamega province, urged them not to do so.

They reported that he said, “We have not yet determined the nature of the disease that has affected your students.

“Taking them home can be risky because, if the disease is contagious, it is likely to wipe out the entire family.”

In a similar case in 2015, 40 schoolchildren in Britain were treated by ambulance crews for anxiety-related nausea and fainting.

The children from Outwood Academy in Ripon, North Yorkshire, had all attended a memorial service in the auditorium.

Fire specialists sent to the incident found no signs of hazardous materials, but discovered the hall was warm.

In what appeared to be a case of mass hysteria, North Yorkshire Fire Brigade suspected a handful of children fainted, while the rest developed symptoms caused by fear rippling through the school.

Meanwhile, in November 2012, nearly 2,000 students and five teachers at 15 schools in Sri Lanka were treated for rashes, vomiting, dizziness and coughing.

However, it was believed that this was caused by mass hysteria.