Mysterious disease hits Eregi Girls School
Eregi Girls High School in Kakamega on October 3, 2023.
Another girls' school in Kakamega has been hit by a mysterious disease that has sent more than 50 students to various health facilities in the county.
At least 62 students of Eregi Girls Secondary School in Ikolomani have been admitted to Kakamega County General Hospital (KCGH), Iguhu and Shibwe sub-county hospitals after they developed a condition that paralysed their limbs.
More than 30 girls were admitted at KCGH, 20 at Shibwe and 12 more at Iguhu Level Four Hospital on Monday evening.
This comes after two students and a teacher succumbed to the disease that broke out at Mukumu Girls High School in April this year.
More than 500 students were hospitalised as a result of the outbreak.
A nurse at KCGH, who is not authorised to speak on behalf of the facility, hinted that preliminary tests on the Eregi students revealed a disease that paralyses the students' legs.
"This condition is called electrolyte imbalance, a condition that leads to loss of fluids in the body," the nurse explained.
Severe diarrhoea or excessive sweating can lead to elevated electrolytes.
There are fears that the number of students affected could rise, as some health facilities appear to be overwhelmed with the number of patients.
Health officials from the county government and the Ministry of Health are expected to make an official statement on the mysterious disease today, Tuesday.
