Konzo in the Central African Republic

Tylleskär, Thorkild; Legue, FT; Peterson, Sharon; Kpizingui, E.; Stecker, P.

doi:10.1212/wnl.44.5.959

Cited by 67 publications

(42 citation statements)

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“…Reports on neuropathies caused by cassava were called by different names in the various areas of the African continent. In Tanzania and Zaire it was named after the local designation as Konzo (Banea et al, 1997;Tylleskar et al, 1994), and Epidemic Spastic Paraparesis (ESP) or Mantekassa in Mozambique (Ministry of Health, 1984b). The presentation here was different from TAN.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neurochemical and behavioural correlates in cassava-induced neurotoxicity in rats

Mathangi

Ambalavanan

2000

neurotox res

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Chronic cyanide intoxication from cassava has been implicated as the cause for a degenerative neuropathy known widely as tropical ataxic neuropathy. An attempt has been made in this study to identify the specific cause for neuropathy caused by cassava using Wistar strain albino rats as the experimental animal model. The results of cassava fed animals were compared with control animals, animals given cyanide, malnourished animals and malnourished animals fed cyanide, to identify the causative factors. This study revealed that though the behavioural pattern in motor coordination of the cassava fed animals was similar to the other groups studied, the neurochemical basis for the observed behavioural pattern was unique for cassava. Hence the neurotoxicity of cassava could be attributed to unmetabolized linamarin, more than its nutritional status and/or cyanide toxicity.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neurochemical and behavioural correlates in cassava-induced neurotoxicity in rats

Mathangi

Ambalavanan

2000

neurotox res

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“…Epidemiological studies have documented konzo outbreaks -mostly in women and children -in periods of food insecurity that have been brought about by drought, displacement by war or conflict, or other factors that have led to the insufficient processing of cassava tubers. The insufficient breakdown of linamarin compounds that contain cyanide result in neurological damage and seem to lead to outbreaks of konzo, which has been documented mostly in the Congo, Central African Republic, Mozambique and Tanzania [51][52][53] with a prevalence of between 0.1% and 17% in affected villages 54 . Studies have recently documented neurocognitive impairments in children with konzo.…”

Section: Food-borne Neurotoxins and Nutritional Malabsorptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reducing neurodevelopmental disorders and disability through research and interventions

Boivin

Kakooza

Warf

et al. 2015

Nature

126

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“…Konzo epidemic must occur within 2 years of the warm phase of ENSO for them to be coupled. This was to ensure that the epidemic occurred within the observed duration of the effects of El Niño (Nicholson and Kim, 1997) or of droughts (Howlett et al, 1990;Tylleskär et al, 1994) on agriculture. Contingency table of phases of ENSO and konzo epidemics was created, and odds ratio was calculated using the Wald's method with correction.…”

Section: Konzo Epidemics Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate regimes, El NiÃ±o-Southern oscillation and konzo epidemics

Oluwole

2015

Front. Environ. Sci.

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Epidemics of konzo have occurred during severe droughts in parts of east, central, and southern Africa since the 1920s. Occurrence is attributed to exposure to cyanide from poorly processed cassava foods, the sole source of calories when other food crops fail. El Niño, the warm phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), induces severe droughts in the geographical areas of Africa where epidemics of konzo occur. Climate regimes are determined by modes of Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), which modulates the ENSO. Study was done to determine the relationship of konzo epidemics to climate regimes and phases of ENSO, and to propose a model to explain while konzo epidemics do not occur in all drought affected areas. Data of all konzo epidemics in the past century and in DR Congo from 1974 to 1996, and indices of ENSO and PDO from 1915 to 2014 were obtained. Konzo epidemics were mapped to phases of ENSO and PDO. Wavelet spectral and wavelet spectral coherence analysis of climate indices and konzo epidemics were done. All konzo epidemics of the past century occurred during warm climate regimes. Of 19 warm phases of ENSO from 1974 to 1996 in DR Congo, 17 were coupled to konzo epidemics, while of 4 cold phases of ENSO, 1 was coupled to konzo epidemic, odds ratio 26 (95% CI, 2-378). Global spectral of ENSO and konzo showed dominant periodicity of 5 years, while spectrograms showed significant periodicities and coherence between 3 and 6 years. Spatial distribution of konzo is restricted to the area of maximal impact of El Niño on precipitation in Africa. El Niño is the underlying cause of konzo epidemics. Control of konzo epidemics requires management of the impact of El Niño on agriculture in areas where the population depends on cassava as sole source of calories during droughts. There is the need to develop forecast models of changes in cassava production to predict likely periods of konzo epidemics.

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Konzo in the Central African Republic

Cited by 67 publications

References 0 publications

Neurochemical and behavioural correlates in cassava-induced neurotoxicity in rats

Neurochemical and behavioural correlates in cassava-induced neurotoxicity in rats

Reducing neurodevelopmental disorders and disability through research and interventions

Climate regimes, El NiÃ±o-Southern oscillation and konzo epidemics

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