Konzo Outbreak, in the South-West of the Democratic Republic of Congo, 1996.
Affiliation
Epicentre, 8 rue St Sabin, Paris, France. i.bonmarin@invs.sante.frIssue Date
2002-08
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Show full item recordJournal
Journal of Tropical PediatricsAbstract
In August 1996, cases of poliomyelitis were reported in Kahemba zone, in the south-west of the Democratic Republic (DR) of Congo. The diagnosis was reviewed and charged to Konzo, a spastic paraparesis attributed to food cyanide intoxication. In order to describe the phenomena, a community-based survey took place and found 237 people affected. The highest prevalence was found in the most isolated part of the zone. The patients suffered from an isolated non-progressive spastic paraparesis of abrupt onset. Children and women were the most affected groups, especially women after childbirth. Most of the patients developed the disease after 1990 with 101 cases in 1996. Cassava processing was the same over time and in all the villages. The study did not fully explain the increased number of cases in 1996 but suggested that complementary investigations regarding micronutrient intakes, especially vitamin A, would be necessary.Publisher
Published by Oxford University PressPubMed ID
12200986Additional Links
http://tropej.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/48/4/234?ijkey=zbWwBayHQ36l.&keytype=ref&siteid=tropejLanguage
enDescription
To access this article, click "Additional LInks"ISSN
0142-6338Collections
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