Abstract
Viliuisk Encephalomyelitis (VE) is a chronic ailment that can prove to be fatal if not diagnosed at an early stage. The severe disease damages the brain tissues and at an advanced stage, causes dementia, muscular weakness, speech and gait abnormalities.
The disease is caused by an unknown pathogen and is reported to be infectious. The means by which the microorganisms spread is also not yet discovered. Nonetheless, studies have shown that closer proximity to the patient and sharing the same household makes the other members susceptible to the acute illness. Research has also negated the long held belief that VE is genetically inherited. It can be caught by related or unrelated people if they share the same environment.
Initially, the disease was diagnosed among Yakut-Evenk society living on the banks of Viliui River. It was a densely populated area. However, migration of people to other regions has lead to a far and wide spread of the disease.
The writers of the article built their research on preliminary studies carried out in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. They chose six families who fitted the definition of their representative sample. Many of the family members of from the sample selected suffered from VE. However, not everyone experienced the same symptoms and everyone did not suffer from the ailment at the same time. In fact, there was a considerble lapse of time between two consecutive members of the family falling prey to VE. The secondary cases of the disease in the family were more severe and often, resulted in fatality.
About Viliuisk Encephalomyelitis
Viliuisk Encephalomyelitis (VE) is a chronic disease caused by an unknown pathogen which, if prolonged, can prove to be lethal. It is a severe form of meningoencephalitis which is transformed into panencephalitis. The disease is contagious and spreads through contact among those sharing the same household. There is no such evidence of genetic inheritance of the disease. However, it is proved by research that related or unrelated people living in close proximity to the infected person are more likely to fall prey to this serious illness. Yet, the actual means by which the bacteria or microorganisms are transferred to other people is still not discovered.
The disease is known to have existed for almost a century and was found usually among citizens of densely populated areas. It was first diagonosed among Yakut-Evenk society which lived on the banks of Viliui River in eastern Siberia. With the passage of time, as people migrated from one georgrpahic area or region to another, they carried the bacteria causing VE with them. This resulted in spread of the chronic illness to other areas also. It is feared that the disease is coming out to be a fast spreading infectious disorder.
The unremitting disease causes serious damage to the brain by secreting fluids and causing chemical changes; thereby, adversely affecting the cells and forming lesions. The patient suffers usually suffers from reduced muscular strength, obesity, slurred speech, awkward way of walking, dementia, nausea and respiratory problems.
A Research Study Conducted on Six Multiplex Families
The writers of the paper undertook to study a sample of six families many of whose members were victimized by VE. The research was built on preliminary studies carried out in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. The families used as representative samples had been under observation by neurologists since 1950s. Five of the families belonged to the village on the banks of Viliui River whereas one family lived in the vicinity of the city of Yakutsk where the disease has lately reached. Fifteen people in all were infected with the disease among the six families under study. In order to discover and analyze the anatomical changes and damage caused by VE, autopsy was performed on one patient from each family.
It is worth noting that many of the victims of the chronic ailment were women and the disease preyed on consecutive members of the family or household after a lapse of many years. Although it was found that closer proximity to the sufferer increased the chances of acquiring the serious illness and aggravating the ordeal among the new patient.
There were many cases in which the ailing person was not diagnosed of the disease. Although the grave illness could be prevented from being fatal in the early stages, it is rather difficult, if not, impossible to control it in its advanced stage. As the ailment prolongs and turns into panencephalitis, the patient has to endure severe psychological and physical trauma and pain.
The Findings
The damaged caused to the brain tissues shows that VE is infectious. When the illness prolonged, it led to a rise in cell count and protein intensity within the body. The conjecture that VE is inherited was proved wrong. However, those in close contact with the patient are likely to acquire the disease and reach an advanced fatal stage. Secondary cases are mostly lethal.
Works Cited
Vladimirtsev, Vsevolod A., Nikitina, Raisa S., Renwick, Neil, Ivanova, Anastasia A., Danilova, Al’bina P., Platonov, Fyodor A., Krivoshapkin, Vadim G., McLean, Catriona A., Masters, Colin L., Gajdusek, D. Carleton & Goldfarb, Lev G. ” Family Clustering of Viliuisk Encephalomyelitis in Traditional and New Geographic.” Emerging Infectious Diseases 13-9 (2007).