Strange Disease Hits WASEC

A STRANGE disease has broken out at the Wa Secondary School in the Upper West Region, forcing the school administration to close it down on the advice of the health authorities.

Already, 40 students out of a population of 1,014 have been admitted at the Wa Central Hospital since the outbreak of the disease about two weeks ago. The disease makes students strip naked and behave violently, sometimes assaulting their colleagues and teachers.

Mr. J. A. Puobi, Headmaster of the school said the school started recording an unusual number of emergency visits to hospital two weeks ago.

He said but for the past four days the emergency visits became regular with about six students, especially girls being taken to hospital and the symptoms becoming more serious.

Mr. Puobi said, however, that yesterday, there was total pandemonium when many more students exhibited this abnormal behaviour which sometimes culminated into their running into the bush.

He said some of the students had to be chased into the bush and apprehended and assisted to seek medical treatment in the hospital.

The headmaster said as a result of the increasing number of students being attacked, the health authorities visited the school and advised the school authorities to close down the school.

Mr. Puobi said laboratory tests are being conducted on the victims to determine the specific cause of the disease.

He said a number of measures have also been taken to fumigate the school before the school will be re-opened in two weeks’ time by which period the hospital authorities might have completed the analysis of the laboratory test for further action to be taken.