Gulu University scientist links Nodding disease to contaminated mouldy maize

What the report says

A Gulu University researcher says preliminary work points to a possible connection between eating mould-contaminated maize and Nodding Syndrome, the neurological disorder that has affected children in northern Uganda, especially in the Acholi sub-region. The Observer reports that Dr Richard Echodu, director of Gulu University Multifunctional Research Laboratories, has been studying the condition since 2008 and is now focusing on whether substances produced by mould in maize could help explain some of the symptoms.

According to the article, Echodu and a Japanese PhD student collected mould samples from maize gardens in Omoro, Pader and Kitgum districts. Laboratory testing suggested certain amino acids were elevated in contaminated maize, and small experiments with rats reportedly produced head-nodding and seizure-like behaviour similar to that seen in human cases. He said the team has not yet determined how much contaminated food a person would need to eat to be affected, and it is also examining mould in sorghum.

The researcher said the findings are still preliminary, but they may add to earlier work on mycotoxins and other suspected causes. He urged better post-harvest handling, warning that mouldy grain can enter household food supplies when farmers and families do not sort it out properly. The team also says its work is limited by the lack of a mass spectrometry machine, which would cost more than Shs 200 million and allow more precise chemical analysis. The article notes that past investigations, including work cited by the CDC, have not yet established a definitive cause for Nodding Syndrome.