Psychogenic illness is manifesting itself with symptoms such as difficulty in walking, fever, nervousness, weakness and nausea has increased alarmingly among schoolgirls in Barisal with hundreds of girls affected by, it much to the distress of parents.
Having been affected by the illness many students have stopped coming to schools which obviously hampers their academic career.
Over 100 teenagers, mostly girls, have been affected with by disease at Gournadi, Agoiljhara and Babuganj upazilas of Barisal and Kalapara upazila in Patuakhali.
Currently, many of them are undergoing treatment at a local health complex and also in Barisal Sher-e- Bangla Medical College Hospital.
A seven-member team from Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) led by Dr Dilruba Begum, senior scientific officer, visited and met with the affected students at Gournadi upazila health complex at Ashukathi on Monday.
In Gournadi upazila, 92 students, mostly girls, from AN School of Mahilara and Nalchira School of Nalchira, have been treated at Gournadi upazila Health Complex, said Dr Moslem Uddin, upazila health officer.
Yusuf Khandokar, a parent, said her teenaged daughter Israt Jahan was affected with the disease last week and she had received treatment at Galaxy Medical College Hospital, Dhaka for a few days. Lamia, a student of class VIII at Nalchira School, said she had been suffering from chest pain and convulsion since last Friday.
Pronoy Kanti Adhikari, headmaster of Mahilara School, said attendance at his school had declined to a great extent. On Monday, Only 105 students out of 1,275 attended classes.
Nurul Alam, headmaster of Nalchira High School, said only 102 out of 825 students present at his school on that due to fear of spreading the disease.
Bibekananda Hawladarr, acting headmaster of Mollapara School in Agoiljhara, said eight students of his school were treated and six of them admitted to Agoiljhara upazila health complex with MPI symptoms.
Besides, 11 students of Altaf Memorial School under Babuganj upazila reported as MPI victim.
Six students of Hazipur School at coastal Kalapara upazila of Patuakhali were affected with the disease.
Dr Aminul Islam, residential officer of Kalapara health complex, advised that the patients be isolated when they are being treated.