The Ministry of Health has come to the conclusion that students from Starehe Girls’ School were suffering from mass hysteria.
According to Wikipedia, mass hysteria (also known as mass psychogenic illness, collective hysteria, group hysteria, or collective obsessional behavior) is a phenomenon that transmits collective illusions of threats, whether real or imaginary, through a population in society as a result of rumors and fear
In a report, the ministry outlined that the 52 students who were isolated following the display of a high-pitched cough, sneezing and low-grade fever, there were two cases of rhinovirus.
It is caused by viral agents leading to the common flu and spreading from one person to the next.
“Following the investigations conducted on the cases of Starehe Girls School, the team has drawn conclusion of mass psychogenic illness which is widely referred to as mass hysteria,” read the report.
The students who were sent home on Thursday and the school shut down following the outbreak, had indicated serious signs of flu-like symptoms with coughing that spread rapidly across the school.
Read: Starehe Girls Closed Indefinitely Following Outbreak Of ‘Mysterious’ Disease
This was after 52 girls were bedridden and quarantined, with more students said to be at risk of infection.
The school said that the samples had been obtained from the students and more investigation are to be carried out to ascertain the cause of the disease.
“We are currently working with the National Government Ministry of Health, Department of Integrated Disease Surveillance Response (IDSR) and the Sub-County health department through the Ruaraka Sub-County Health team as well as volunteer Doctors from the Old Starehian Society to ascertain the cause and contain the situation, ” the statement reads in part.
The Health ministry has also planned to institute psychological evaluation for the affected students as well as therapy for students, staff and stakeholders of the institution.
According to the report, continuous counseling and awareness creation will be essential in improving their mental health and necessitating moving on from the incidents.
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