Uganda sends patients to US in an effort to learn more about nodding disease
Ugandan Health Minister, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda said yesterday that 10 members of a family affected by the disease were going to the United States for additional medical testing to try to determine the source and cure to the mysterious disease that appeared in 2009.
Image/CIA
In addition, five brain samples from deceased nodding disease patients were sent to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for analysis last month, according to a New Vision report. The last new case was reported in 2012.
This is from an article in 2012 concerning nodding disease:
The African nation of Uganda certainly has it’s share of problems including war, poverty and disease. However, one disease is literally making parents in certain districts in the north of the country tremble in fear.
The mysterious disease affecting areas of Northern Uganda that many outside the region have never heard of, but what is known as “nodding disease” has killed at least 200 children and caused heartbreaking symptoms in 3000 others.
Imagine children having epileptic-like seizures, repetitive nodding of the head, mental retardation, stunted growth and death, sometimes from secondary accidents like drowning and burns.
Often times the symptoms of the disease can be triggered by the cold weather or food. For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page.
