Lathyrism in rural northwestern Ethiopia: a highly prevalent neurotoxic disorder.
Lathyrism is a disorder of the central motor system, induced by heavy consumption of the grass-pea, Lathyrus sativus an environmentally tolerant legume containing the neurotoxic excitatory amino acid beta-N-oxalylamino-L-alanine (BOAA). A complete door-to-door resurvey of the Dembia and Fogera regions of northwestern Ethiopia, areas endemic for lathyrism, revealed an estimated mean disease prevalence of 0.6%-2.9%. Most patients developed the disease in the epidemic of 1976/77, although new cases appear to have occurred with an estimated mean annual incidence of 1.7:10,000. Production and consumption of grass-pea is increasing in Ethiopia, making attempts to develop low-BOAA strains to prevent lathyrism increasingly important.
Haimanot
R T
RT
Faculty of Medicine, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia.
Kidane
Y
Y
Wuhib
E
E
Kalissa
A
A
Alemu
T
T
Zein
Z A
ZA
Spencer
P S
PS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007842:Lathyrism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012423:Rural Health; D012621:Seasons