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PSYCHOSIS - NICARAGUA: (ATLANTICO NORTE)
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A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
Date: Wed 4 Mar 2009
Source: Tico Times, Nica Times report [edited]
<http://www.ticotimes.net/dailyarchive/2009_03/030409.htm#story1>
Outbreak of mysterious 'grisi siknis' illness grips indigenous towns
in Nicaragua
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A team of traditional indigenous healers and regional health
authorities from the North Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAN) trekked
out to visit 3 rural Miskito communities along the Rio Coco on
Tuesday [3 Mar 2009] to investigate reports of an outbreak of a
mysterious collective hysteria, known as 'grisi siknis', or 'crazy
sickness.'
Centuriano Knight, the regional health coordinator for the RAAN told
The Nica Times yesterday [3 Mar 2009] in a phone interview that 34
people have reportedly fallen ill with grisi siknis in the river
community of Santa Fe, 7 people in the nearby community of Esperanza,
and 2 in the neighboring community of San Carlos. The outbreak of
grisi siknis, which has no scientific explanation, is the largest
case of collective hysteria since a massive outbreak in the RAAN
community of Raiti in 2003.
Though doctors, anthropologists, and sociologists have all studied
previous cases, no one has been able to explain the phenomenon, Knight
said. Traditional healers and witches have different theories ranging
from a curse to incomplete witchcraft.
The strange illness apparently affects young people more than old,
putting them in a trance and giving them super-human strength,
according to Knight and other witnesses. "A 15-year-old girl with
siknis can overpower 6 or 7 men," Knight said. "The men can't detain
her, and have to tie her up in bed sheets."
Knight said the illness doesn't necessarily make people violent, but
it does make them hysterical. Many of the affected will take off
running madly, and other villagers can't stop them, he said.
Sometimes, however, grisi siknis can turn violent. In the case of
Raiti in 2003, some of the affected people ran around town with
machetes trying to cut others.
Knight said the mysterious illness has existed in the indigenous
communities since the 1960s, but had disappeared for years until the
2003 outbreak. The illness apparently only affects indigenous Miskito
and Mayagna populations [Amerindians].
In 2004, the illness was cured by a local healer who treated it with
herbs and other natural medicines. The 3 local healers sent to the
communities Tuesday [3 Mar 2009] will employ the same techniques,
Knight said.
[Byline: Tim Rogers]
--
Communicated by
Robin Lake
<lake@apk.net>
[Extensive background on this condition is given in ProMED archive
(02) below. The 2005 outbreak was in response to the stress of
famine. It would be interesting to know if there is famine there
again, or any other stressful condition.
Photo of Miskito tribespeople:
<http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/refugee/images/miskito.jpg>
Location map of Nicaragua:
<http://www.mapsofworld.com/nicaragua/maps/nicaragua-location-map.jpg>
Map of Nicaragua:
<http://healthmap.org/promed/en?v=12.8,-85,6>
Map showing Rio Coco:
<http://mapmaker.rutgers.edu/355/MapDesign/MiskitoCoast.jpg>. - Mod.JW]
[see also:
2005
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Psychosis - Nicaragua (Atlantico Norte) (02) 20051203.3488
Psychosis - Nicaragua (Atlantico Norte): RFI 20051201.3465]
........................................jw/mj/jw
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