St. Theresa’s Eregi Girls High School in Kakamega County, Kenya, has been temporarily closed following an outbreak of a mysterious illness that has left more than 95 students hospitalized.
The disease is characterized by paralysis in the limbs, rendering most of the students unable to walk. The school administration, in consultation with government officials, has decided to send Form One (Grade 7), Form Two (Grade 8), and Form Three (Grade 9) students home until further assessments are made. Blood samples from the affected students have been sent to the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) for analysis, according to Kenyan news outlet Tuko.
Based on the videos circulating on social media, most of the students are suffering from some sort of mystery illness that causes paralysis in their legs, making it difficult for them to walk. Some reports have attributed the incident to “mass hysteria.”
WATCH:
A possible case of mass hysteria has broken out at an all-girls school in western Kenya, with girls reporting that they are unable to walk. pic.twitter.com/YeJSSdijyG
— Catch Up (@CatchUpFeed) October 4, 2023
The situation at St. Theresa’s Eregi Girls High School reached a critical point when students demanded to go home due to the outbreak.