Over 50 students from another girls’ school in Kakamega have fallen ill with a mysterious disease, resulting in their admission to various health facilities in the county.
A total of 62 students from Eregi Girls Secondary School in Ikolomani have been admitted to Kakamega County General Hospital (KCGH), Iguhu, and Shibwe sub-county due to a peculiar medical condition that has impacted their limbs. On Monday, the hospitals received 62 patients. This event comes after another outbreak in April at Mukumu Girls High School, which necessitated hospitalization for over 500 students and tragically claimed the lives of two students and a teacher.
A nurse at KCGH has disclosed that initial tests on the Eregi students indicated a disease-causing paralysis in their legs. The nurse explains that this condition is known as electrolyte imbalance which occurs when there is a loss of fluids in the body due to severe diarrhoea or excessive sweating. Concerns have been raised that the number of affected students may continue to rise, as certain health facilities are struggling to cope with the influx of patients.
The Ministry of Health is anticipated to issue an official announcement regarding the illness today. According to another nurse at Kakamega General Hospital, more students are being admitted, although no laboratory testing has been conducted. It has been reported that samples from the students have been collected and transported to the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) for analysis. KEMRI officials are also scheduled to visit the school on Tuesday in order to evaluate the situation.
