Archive for the ‘Konzo’ Category
Konzo, a food-borne illness that paralyzes the legs and back, has been raging in Feshi territory in southwestern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)’s Kwango province for several months.
Sunday, April 28th, 2019“……Le konzo est une maladie qui attaque les membres inférieurs et la colonne vertébrale, provoquant une déformation physique déplorable et souvent irréversible. Cette maladie est provoquée par la consommation d’une variété de manioc très amer qui devait normalement rester trempé dans l’eau au moins pendant quatre jours pour éliminer le cyanure avant d’être consommé...…”
Cassava, konzo, and neurotoxicity
Konzo: An irreversible upper-motor neuron disorder affecting children dependent on bitter cassava for food.
Thursday, August 17th, 2017Cognitive and motor performance in Congolese children with konzo during 4 years of follow-up: a longitudinal analysis. Boivin, Michael J et al. The Lancet Global Health , Volume 5 , Issue 9 , e936 – e947
“…..Motor and cognitive performance continues to be significantly impaired in boys with konzo at 2-year follow-up compared with boys without konzo. Because these impairments are associated in part with exposure to poorly processed cassava as measured by urinary thiocyanate, interventions are urgently needed to ensure improved processing of cassava to detoxify this food source…..”