Nearly 100 schoolgirls in western Kenya have been hospitalized with a mysterious paralyzing “illness.”

Government officials said 95 students at a school about 374 kilometers (232 miles) northwest of Nairobi had been killed.

Local media reports claim the pupils suddenly had difficulty walking, while videos posted on social media appear to show them unable to stand, experiencing seizures and complaining of knee pain.

Health officials do not know what is behind his symptoms, but they have sent blood and urine samples to laboratories in Kenya.

However, some experts have cast doubt on the illness, suggesting it could be a case of “mass hysteria.” Others have told local media that students may be “faking” their symptoms to avoid exams that are just weeks away.

Local media reports claim the pupils suddenly had difficulty walking, while videos posted on social media appear to show them unable to stand, experiencing seizures and complaining of knee pain.

Others have suggested that the symptoms mirror those of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), which damages the nerves.

It can cause paralysis of the arms, legs or face and leave patients in crippling pain.

In severe cases, it causes life-threatening problems, such as breathing difficulties and blood clots. The condition is difficult to diagnose and kills about one in 20 people.

Around one in 50,000 Britons and Americans develop GBS each year, usually after an infection when the immune system becomes overactive.

The country’s health cabinet secretary, Susan Nakhumicha, said no pathogens were identified among students at St Theresa’s Eregi Girls’ Secondary School.

WHAT IS GUILLAIN-BARRÉ SYNDROME?

Guillain-Barré syndrome is a very rare and serious condition that affects the nerves.

It primarily causes numbness, weakness, tingling, and pain in the feet and hands before spreading to the arms and legs.

Symptoms usually worsen for days or weeks before slowly starting to improve. In severe cases, people may have difficulty moving, walking, breathing, and swallowing.

The condition is thought to be caused by the immune system attacking healthy cells, which is often triggered by infection.

Guillain-Barré patients are typically treated in the hospital with intravenous immunoglobulin, a treatment made from donated blood that controls the immune system.

Patients may also need breathing and feeding tubes.

Most people recover from most of their symptoms within six to 12 months.

But it can take years to fully recover from nerve damage caused by this condition.

About a fifth of Guillain-Barré patients cannot walk without assistance and suffer from weakness in the arms, legs or face, balance problems and extreme fatigue.

Guillain-Barré affects people of all ages, but adults and men are most at risk.

Addressing members of the Public Investment in Education and Governance Committee of the National Assembly, he said more tests will be carried out to determine the cause of the disease.

“We have been in contact with the director of public health and as of yesterday (Tuesday) there were 95 girls hospitalized,” Ms Nakhumicha said.

‘By the end of today (Wednesday), we anticipate having a full report.

“Five tests have been performed so far and no pathogens have been identified.”

He added: “However, additional samples have been sent to the Kenya Medical Research Institute in Nairobi for further analysis.”

However, the BBC reported that experts believe it could be a case of “mass hysteria” and said pupils threw stones at government officials who showed up at their school.

Jared Obiero, director of education for the western region, told the Daily Nation that some of the students may be sick but most could be “faking their illness.”

He said: “Third grade students were due to start their end-of-year exams on Wednesday, but some of them are opposing the school syllabus, claiming that they are not prepared for the exams.”

This means that some of the students’ symptoms “may not be genuine,” he added.

Conflicting reports in local newspapers led to confusion over whether the school had temporarily closed. But the Ministry of Education confirmed yesterday that it is still open.

However, some parents have chosen to take their children out of school.

Local newspapers reported that Dr. Steven Wandei, director of medical services in Kakamega County, urged them not to do so.

He was reported to have said: ‘We have not established the nature of the illness that has affected the students.

“Bringing them home could be risky because if the disease is infectious, it is likely to wipe out the entire family.”

In a similar case in 2015, 40 schoolchildren in the United Kingdom were treated by ambulance crews for nausea and fainting caused by anxiety.

All the children at Outwood Academy in Ripon, North Yorkshire, attended a memorial service in their assembly hall.

Firefighters sent to the scene found no signs of hazardous materials, but did find heat in the room.

In what appeared to be a case of mass hysteria, the North Yorkshire fire service suspected that a handful of children fainted and the rest developed anxiety-driven symptoms that spread throughout the school.

Meanwhile, in November 2012, nearly 2,000 students and five teachers in 15 schools in Sri Lanka were treated for rashes, vomiting, vertigo and coughs.

However, it was believed that this was caused by mass hysteria.