‘Mass hysteria’ hits Mexican school

MEXICAN girls studying at a strict boarding school run by a South Korean nun are to undergo psychological therapy after hundreds of them were hit by a mysterious case of “mass hysteria,” health officials said.

The case emerged in October when two teenagers at Girls Town school near Mexico City suffered from muscle atrophy and nausea, symptoms seen in mass hysteria. The malaise struck up to 600 of the 4 500 students at one point, and health officials determined they suffered from mass hysteria.”We will work with the girls in specific therapy as a follow-up,” Victor Manuel Torres, under secretary of epidemiology for Mexico state, told reporters.”We must investigate if it is a case of social adversity.””So far, the diagnosis is an epidemic conversion disorder, an illness known as mass hysteria,” Torres said.About 120 girls still show some or all symptoms of mass hysteria and are still at the school, he said.The Roman Catholic school, a free establishment for 12- to 18-year old girls from poor families, is run by sister Margie Cheong.In October 2006, two girls showed the symptoms.Four months later, 200 girls were affected, and 400 more in March.Nampa-AFP * The mass-hysteria phenomenon has also been experienced at schools in Namibia.The malaise struck up to 600 of the 4 500 students at one point, and health officials determined they suffered from mass hysteria.”We will work with the girls in specific therapy as a follow-up,” Victor Manuel Torres, under secretary of epidemiology for Mexico state, told reporters.”We must investigate if it is a case of social adversity.””So far, the diagnosis is an epidemic conversion disorder, an illness known as mass hysteria,” Torres said.About 120 girls still show some or all symptoms of mass hysteria and are still at the school, he said.The Roman Catholic school, a free establishment for 12- to 18-year old girls from poor families, is run by sister Margie Cheong.In October 2006, two girls showed the symptoms.Four months later, 200 girls were affected, and 400 more in March.Nampa-AFP * The mass-hysteria phenomenon has also been experienced at schools in Namibia.