At Santa Rosa…
AN air of uncertainty loomed over the Santa Rosa community in North West District yesterday, with the imminent reopening of school today.

Residents are apprehensive about a resurgence of the mystery illness that plagued the female students of Santa Rosa Secondary School last term.

However, the Headteacher, Mr. Glynn De La Cruz affirmed that the institution is ready for the new school year and any recurrence of the sickness, despite challenges that present themselves ahead of the actual start.

He said, with 287 more on roll, the situation will be challenging, primarily because of accommodation for such a large batch of newcomers.

De La Cruz expressed the hope that extensions being made to the building would facilitate the big intake.

He said the construction works are only 75 per cent complete although the works begun since last November.

De La Cruz cited the insufficiency of furniture but said the 50 new pairs expected should ease the problem.

In relation to the mysterious ailment, he said he made a request, through the Region One (Barima/Waini) Department of Education for a specialist to visit the school.

De La Cruz said several activities have been included in the daily routine to keep, particularly the girls occupied so as to avoid any kind of unease amongst them.

The most recent patient took sick on August 19. Seventeen-year-old Duanna Heyliger had completed her Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) tests and was at home at the time of the attack.

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Her mother, Anita Vansluytman said it only lasted about 20 minutes but she was surprised as the girl had not suffered one for several weeks.

Vansluytman said it happened a week before the student received her CXC results, indicating that she secured one grade two, a grade three and two grade fours in the other subjects she took but none in Mathematics and English.

Duanna was one of 15 affected girls who sat the CXC tests, of 72 candidates who gained 78.2 per cent passes in all.

The pass rate was good and, for this year, we are prepared to deal with whatever happens,” De La Cruz declared.

The affliction resurfaced in October 2008 after first striking three years ago and returned in February, since when 73 girl students, between the ages of 13 and 18 years, were stricken.

The girls first complained of headache and a bellyache before experiencing unexplained stupor that would see them, eyes closed, venturing about recklessly.

The girls would also relate strange dreams when they eventually became coherent again, fuelling the belief that what they suffer is in the paranormal realm.

Analyses done by health personnel were unsuccessful in ascertaining why they were afflicted but showed no obvious genetic or other links nor resulted in long term physical consequences.

Consequently, the incidence remains the subject of speculation about mass hysteria, too.