TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2021//
TI  - Revisiting konzo risk factors in three areas differently affected by spastic paraparesis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo discloses a prominent role of the nutritional status--a comparative cross-sectional study
JO  - Nutrients
A1  - Baguma, Marius
A1  - Malembaka, Espoir Bwenge
A1  - Bahizire, Esto
A1  - Mudumbi, Germain Zabaday
A1  - Shamamba, Dieudonné Bahati
A1  - Matabaro, Alain-Narcisse
A1  - Rigo, Jean-Michel
A1  - Njamnshi, Alfred Kongnyu
A1  - Chabwine, Joelle Nsimire
SP  - e2628
EP  - e2628
VL  - 13
IS  - 8
N2  - This comparative cross-sectional study aimed to better understand the respective contributions of protein malnutrition and cassava-derived cyanide poisoning in the development of konzo. We compared data on nutritional status and cyanide exposure of school-age adolescent konzo-diseased patients to those of non-konzo subjects of similar age from three areas in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Our results show that konzo patients had a high prevalence of both wasting (54.5%) and stunting (72.7%), as well as of cyanide poisoning (81.8%). Controls from Burhinyi and those from Idjwi showed a similar profile with a low prevalence of wasting (3.3% and 6.5%, respectively) and intermediate prevalence of stunting (26.7% and 23.9%, respectively). They both had a high prevalence of cyanide poisoning (50.0% and 63.0%, respectively), similar to konzo-patients. On the other hand, controls from Bukavu showed the lowest prevalence of both risk factors, namely chronic malnutrition (12.1%) and cyanide poisoning (27.6%). In conclusion, cassava-derived cyanide poisoning does not necessarily coexist with konzo outbreaks. The only factor differentiating konzo patients from healthy individuals exposed to cyanide poisoning appeared to be their worse nutritional status. This further suggests that, besides the known role of cyanide poisoning in the pathogenesis of konzo, malnutrition may be a key factor for the disease occurrence.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 2072-6643
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu13082628
ID  - ref1
ER  -