An outbreak of grisi skinis, or "crazy sickness" in the indigenous language of Miskito, is being reported in Bilwi, Nicaragua. In the last two months, more than 80 new cases of the disease, which causes hysteria followed by a coma-like state, have been reported.The Miami Herald reports that, "Grisi siknis is a powerful and puzzling cultural-bound syndrome that afflicts Nicaragua's indigenous and ethnic communities, mostly young adolescent Miskito women. Outbreaks have been reported as far back as the early 1800s. Some health experts say the illness is more mental than physical. However, it behaves similar to other viral outbreaks in that it's contagious and can last for months or years."
The government has yet to issue a response to the outbreak, while locals are taking matters into their own hands. Evangelical reverends are saying grisi siknis is a signal of the end of time, Catholic priests are performing preventive exorcisms, and local traditional healers are providing herbs and medicinal potions.
Pablo McDavis, a professor in the Indigenous Diseases Department at the Uraccan University, has been studying the sickness for the past few years. McDavis told the BBC, "We have taken samples of blood from patients while suffering an attack and, in a lab, we can't detect anything. Drugs or injections tend to only increase a patient's aggressiveness. Clinically we can't detect anything. It is like an outbreak. If an attack is not contained quickly, it can spread throughout an entire community."
Image- La Prensa
Online sources- Miami Herald, BBC
So the Evangelicals say to the inflicted that their condition signifies the beginning of the end of everyone's existence on earth; the Catholics tell them that to some extent they're filled with evil; and the scientists stick them with needles.
ReplyDeleteCivilization, eh?