Perhaps nothing is more interesting right now than the mystery taking place at Le Roy High School in upstate New York.  It seems that as many as 14 girls are showing signs of a bizarre ailment very similar to Tourette’s Syndrome.  The girls are seemingly agitated, showing nervous tics and supposedly involuntary jerking motions while swearing profusely and/or making odd sounds that they claim to have no control over.

This is a psychologist’s wet dream.  And it’s probably providing ample wank material for several CDC investigators as well.

But what’s wrong with the girls?  Viral?  Poisoning?  Conversion Disorder?  Parasthesial Neuropathy?  It could be any of those….or it could be a bunch of bitchy girls sorely in need of attention.

Their case has become so engrossing that Erin Brockovich herself is now representing the families and is investigating the possibility of a prior chemical spill (several people have claimed to have seen an “orange foam” seeping up from the soil around the school).

Instances like this aren’t new…though the similarities to Tourette’s is unique.  Tourette’s Syndrome (which causes involuntary movement and verbalization) is incredibly rare; and there are only a handful of ailments that share symptoms with it (variants of mad cow disease being the most notable).  Another medical possibility could be Morgellons Parasitosis – a truly bizarre medical mystery that causes the sufferer to believe they have bugs (or the like) crawling beneath the skin…which would merely sound psychological in nature except the victims also have strange lesions with orange hairs growing out of the blisters.

Others are convinced the girls are faking – but video of the afflicted 14 seems compelling:  the girls all appear physically drained and, in some cases, terrified.

What do you think?  Medically significant? An example of toxic dementia?  Or girls bored with FaceBook and looking for something new to do?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuQw4ygKnhk