title: An Outbreak of Pellagra in the Kasese Catchment Area, Dowa, Malawi.
abstract: AbstractPellagra is a deficiency of niacin or its amino acid precursor, tryptophan, which presents with the classic four Ds: the characteristic dermatitis, diarrhea, dementia, and eventually death if left untreated. The incidence of pellagra is quite rare presently because of increased awareness and strategies such as vitamin fortification. However, the deficiency is still present in cultures that rely on maize as their primary source of sustenance. We report a recent outbreak in a catchment area in Kasese, Malawi, of 691 cases of pellagra which were successfully treated with niacin supplementation. We present this short report to highlight the importance of educating providers of at-risk populations about this diagnosis and to consider solutions for these populations to prevent further deficiencies.
authors.affiliation: Orant Charities, Primary Care Clinic, Kasese, Dowa, Malawi.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Matapandeu
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, Texas.
authors.forename: Samuel H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, Texas.
authors.forename: Patti
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pagels
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis; D003872:Dermatitis / Q000175:diagnosis; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000175:diagnosis; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008295:Malawi / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009525:Niacin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000172:deficiency; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010383:Pellagra / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009525:Niacin