Mystery Disease in Yemen

(Yemen, Arabian Peninsula) On the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, Yemen is a third-world country with a long history of tribal societies where marriage between close blood-relatives is common. A condition called cerebello-spinal dystrophy disease has resulted in the offspring of such unions.

The disease affects its victims in two ways: it distresses the balance center of the body, which has as symptoms that the sick person loses balance and feels an increased tremor every day, along with an evident atrophy in the upper parts. In its middle and last stages, it causes the victim to be unable to walk and to finally lose the capacity of movement and speech.

The second possibility is that it may affect the body’s main nerve center, causing nerves to be contracted and parts of the body to be bent. The patient then stops walking, suffering from atrophy in the lower part of the body.

The prevalence of the disease has become a health and societal catastrophe as many people are afflicted and few receive medical care. Young and old, men and women are affected.

Reportedly, very little research is underway to identify the specific genetic deficiencies causing the Yemeni disease and no formalized treatment programs have been developed. As civilization advances, it seems that Yemen has been passed over.

Notably, however, the National Institutes of Health does fund research in cerebellar degeneration diseases with numerous studies in progress. It's not known whether the Yemeni variety has been included in the research.