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The development of hydrocephalus was associated with climate
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 26.11.2021
The amount of rainfall affects the number of childhood infections leading to hydrocephalus in Uganda, a group of researchers said, which for the first time proved that brain infections are related to the climatic conditions of the region.
Hydrocephalus is a disease characterized by an excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricular system of the brain. A tumor can cause brain damage or death if left untreated. But even with the necessary assistance, the child will have only a thirty percent chance to lead a normal life, which directly depends on the quality of the treatment provided.
" Hydrocephalus is the most common cause of neurosurgical interventions," says Dr. Stephen Schiff, lead author of the study, a professor at the University of Penn State.
In sub-Saharan Africa, there are over 100,000 cases of infectious hydrocephalus every year. In most cases, hydrocephalus develops against the background of neonatal sepsis, the infection of blood, which occurs during the first four weeks of the baby's life.
The results of researches of scientists are published in the pages of the scientific journal "Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics".
Benjamin Worf, associate professor of neurosurgery at the Harvard Medical School at the Boston Medical Center, notes that it takes about three or four months after an infected child (infected with neonatal sepsis) enters a hospital with signs of hydrocephalus.
Dr. Schiff and his colleagues recorded 696 cases of hydrocephalus in Ugandan infants between 2000 and 2005. In addition, the researchers received localized precipitation data for the same period of time, which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration gave them.
In Uganda, two rainy seasons, in spring and autumn. When comparing the data of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the cases of hydrocephalus development, the researchers found that cases of diseases increase significantly four times during the year - before and after each rainy season, when the amount of precipitation is at a minimum.
Scientists note that various bacteria appear in the post-infection period of hydrocephalus in different seasons of the year. So far, the researchers have not identified the full spectrum of bacteria that cause hydrocephalus, but they note that environmental conditions have an effect on the level of bacterial growth, and that the amount of precipitation can directly be associated with the occurrence of bacterial infections. The humidity level has a direct effect on the number of cases of hydrocephalus in this region of East Africa.
Experts say that knowing the mechanisms of infection, you can reduce the incidence.