Mysterious nodding syndrome spreading through Uganda

[Gaborn]

Large areas of northern Uganda are experiencing an outbreak of nodding syndrome, a mysterious disease that causes young children and adolescents to nod violently when they eat food. The disease, which may be an unusual form of epilepsy, could be linked to the parasitic worm responsible for river blindness, a condition that affects some 18 million people, most of them in Africa.

The current outbreaks are concentrated in the districts of Kitgum, Pader and Gulu. In Pader alone, 66 children and teenagers have died. More than 1000 cases were diagnosed between August and mid-December.

Onchocerca volvulus, a nematode worm that causes river blindness, is known to infest all three affected districts. Nearly all the children with nodding syndrome are thought to live near permanent rivers, another hint of a connection with river blindness.

The link is not clear cut, though. "We know that [Onchocerca volvulus] is involved in some way, but it is a little puzzling because [the worm] is fairly common in areas that do not have nodding disease," says Scott Dowell, who researches paediatric infectious diseases and is lead investigator into nodding syndrome with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There is no known cure for nodding syndrome, so Uganda's Ministry of Health has begun using anticonvulsants such as sodium valproate to treat its signs and symptoms. Meanwhile the disease is continuing to spread, say Janet Oola, Pader's health officer, and Sam William Oyet, the district's medical entomology officer.

It has now reached the Ugandan district of Yumbe, which borders the Republic of South Sudan – and cases have also been reported in the southern region of the world's newest country. Since gaining independence from the rest of Sudan in July, South Sudan has remained on track to eradicate one of humanity's oldest diseases – guinea worm. It is unclear, though, whether foreign aid for the new country could help prevent the spread of nodding syndrome.

Story Here

This is one of those stories that makes me step back and realize how amazing it is the US has clean water to drink.

 

[Chiave]

Great name. Now no one will take it seriously!!

 

[Kunan]

What. That sounds creepy as all hell to witness.

 

[thetrin]

What. That sounds creepy as all hell to witness.

That sounds horrifying.

 

[Zeppelin]

Oh man, just when you thought life couldn't get shittier in Africa...

 

[Emwitus]

Anyway, Im originally from east africa and its alarming how many mysterious illnesses have been popping up over the past year.Just last week in Nairobi, kenya, a woman was dropped of at the largest hospital with unexplained hemorrhaging and died shortly after. Wasn't ebola, and doctors still have the cause as unknown. I believe cdc and who are investigating now.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

That's nuts that they can't find the source. Hopefully it's something that becomes easy to cure and hopefully it's not something that causes permanent damage.

 

[Red]

Anyway, Im originally from east africa and its alarming how many mysterious illnesses have been popping up over the past year.Just last week in Nairobi, kenya, a woman was dropped of at the largest hospital with unexplained hemorrhaging and died shortly after. Wasn't ebola, and doctors still have the cause as unknown. I believe cdc and who are investigating now.

Yeah, it's really telling when looking at world population growth and life expectancy over the past 20 years. Everywhere in the world, those things have gone up correspondingly, except in Africa, where they remain the same or have become worse.

 

[Kinitari]

Anyway, Im originally from east africa and its alarming how many mysterious illnesses have been popping up over the past year.Just last week in Nairobi, kenya, a woman was dropped of at the largest hospital with unexplained hemorrhaging and died shortly after. Wasn't ebola, and doctors still have the cause as unknown. I believe cdc and who are investigating now.

East Africa is beautiful, but it can be terrifying sometimes. Here, our sick people are all sort of... put away (usually in hospitals) - sick people are everywhere on the streets. Leprosy is a heart breaking disease.

 

[Kinitari]

Yeah, it's really telling when looking at world population growth and life expectancy over the past 20 years. Everywhere in the world, those things have gone up correspondingly, except in Africa, where they remain the same or have become worse.

This is extremely untrue. It's getting much better in Africa for life expectancy and population health, it's still not amazing (there are still people sick all over) but it's a LOT better. Tons.

My home country for example:
Google data is useful

 

[Red]

This is extremely untrue. It's getting much better in Africa for life expectancy and population health, it's still not amazing (there are still people sick all over) but it's a LOT better. Tons.

My home country for example:
Google data is useful

Not the entirety of Africa, and not consistently over 20 years, but my point was the continent has not seen the same linear progression in health as most everywhere else.

 

[TGateKeeper]

sounds like more western government experiments unleashed.

 

[Kinitari]

Not the entirety of Africa, and not consistently over 20 years, but my point was the continent has not seen the same linear progression in health as most everywhere else.

Not the entirety of Africa - sure, but the majority - and I'd argue that most countries in Africa have seen a more dramatic growth in health over the last 20 years - mostly because of how bad it was in some places 20 years ago.

Again, I'm not saying Africa is amazing now, and everything is 100% better - but a majority of countries have improving health and some of the growth is extreme - 5-15 years+ in life expectancy in 20 years, do you think that's happened anywhere else in the world?

 

[Steelrain]

sounds like more western government experiments unleashed.

 

[Red]

Not the entirety of Africa - sure, but the majority - and I'd argue that most countries in Africa have seen a more dramatic growth in health over the last 20 years - mostly because of how bad it was in some places 20 years ago.

Again, I'm not saying Africa is amazing now, and everything is 100% better - but a majority of countries have improving health and some of the growth is extreme - 5-15 years+ in life expectancy in 20 years, do you think that's happened anywhere else in the world?

No, you're right and I explained my point poorly initially.

The basic idea I was trying to say is most of the world has achieved a similar level of health expectancy, but Africa is still catching up. I wasn't trying to insult or spread misinformation. I just woke up and made the post really without thinking, so you're right of course, sorry about that.

 

[adamsappel]

This is one of those stories that makes me step back and realize how amazing it is the US has clean water to drink.

Well, that's the free market at work! Oh, wait.


I thought this was going to be some psychosomatic illness, like that "shrinking penis" hysteria that swept through some region before.

 

[Operations]

I thought this was going to be some psychosomatic illness, like that "shrinking penis" hysteria that swept through some region before.

What? lol, do you have a link to the story?

 

[cartoon_soldier]

This is making me nod now...

 

[Consul]

bookmarked

 

[YoungHav]

It's africa, lets trivialize their suffering!

 

[starchild excalibur]

I'd probably be able to laugh easier if there weren't any deaths linked to this. I imagine it would be horrific to witness in person.

 

[Y2Kev]

Ahem.

 

[GasProblem]

When a child is affected by it, his/her growth appears to be completely and permanently stunted. The growth of the brain is also stunted, leading to mental retardation of the victim. The disease is named nodding syndrome since it causes pathological nodding. This is a seizure which often begins when the victim begins to eat food, or sometimes when he/she feels cold. It is a fatal, mentally and physically disabling disease that only affects young children typically between the ages of 5 and 15.

 

[FStop7]

whoops.

 

[bigboss370]

nvm

 

[Log4Girlz]

Those gifs were cut out dude.

 

[starchild excalibur]

http://i.imgur.com/YieIr.gif[/IMG]

Protip for anyone who didn't get here until after Y2Kev posted: there were a bunch of nodding gifs posted that trivialized the disease that have since been deleted. Just a heads up for your sake.

 

[adamsappel]

What? lol, do you have a link to the story?

Not just once, it seems to crop up occasionally: http://drvitelli.typepad.com/providentia/2007/08/the-shrinking-p.html

Protip for anyone who didn't get here until after Y2Kev posted: there were a bunch of nodding gifs posted that trivialized the disease that have since been deleted. Just a heads up and down for your sake.

Fixed.

 

[bigboss370]

at first i thought this was that condition that makes old people shake their head/body back and forth sometimes.

 

[noah111]

So this thread went from 60 posts to 30 without the gifs, holly shit! Should've kept the first few ones though.

The details on this are scarce though, I still don't really get it. Why is it only when they eat? Can they continue eating or do they just stop due to the violent nodding? Almost like a curse, wtf africa.

[edit] noooo y2kev changed his avatar, now i'm gonna get all my mods and admins confused.

 

[Freshmaker]

Great name. Now no one will take it seriously!!

I dunno.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-DbeA1ISns

 

[Orayn]

It's africa, lets trivialize their suffering!

Not to trivialize, but there have been similar "outbreaks" that turned out to be some weird non-disease propagated by mass hysteria. (And not just in Africa.)

 

[akira28]

Perhaps, but those cases of mass hysteria didn't end in the death of dozens of people. Some people were just certain that a witch had been cursing men and shrinking their penises. Some of those believe in folk superstitions, but the nodding thing sounds pretty legitimately scary.

 

[Chiave]

I dunno.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-DbeA1ISns

It has now reached the Ugandan district of Yumbe, which borders the Republic of South Sudan – and cases have also been reported in the southern region of the world's newest country. Since gaining independence from the rest of Sudan in July, South Sudan has remained on track to eradicate one of humanity's oldest diseases – guinea worm. It is unclear, though, whether foreign aid for the new country could help prevent the spread of nodding syndrome.

After seeing that video, what could be bad about foreign aid? Especially if the country hasn't recognized this as a problem.

 

[Puddles]

This is one of those stories that makes me step back and realize how amazing it is the US has clean water to drink.

Thank Tebow for the power of the free market!

 

[Gaborn]

Thank Tebow for the power of the free market!

Your inability to distinguish between limiting the scope of government and eliminating it entirely is your own.

 

[krameriffic]

After seeing that video, what could be bad about foreign aid? Especially if the country hasn't recognized this as a problem.

It also makes me laugh at the people who are so utterly convinced that the water is horrible in the US.

I always enjoy people's lack of perspective in first world countries. Insert First World Problems meme here.

 

[Lamel]

I hope this doesn't turn out like the plot of Contagion.

 

[noah111]

I hope this doesn't turn out like the plot of Contagion.

Now that I think about it.... those zombies in RE5 were pretty nodd-y.