Mega Fm & Agency
A Gulu University scientist has identified a possible link between the consumption of mold-contaminated maize and Nodding Syndrome, a neurological disorder that has affected hundreds of children in Northern Uganda, particularly in the Acholi Sub-region.
Dr. Richard Echodu, the Director of Gulu University Multifunctional Research Laboratories, says preliminary laboratory experiments suggest that certain amino acids produced by mold growing on maize could trigger symptoms similar to those of Nodding Syndrome.
The findings emerge from research that Dr Echodu has been conducting since 2008 to establish the possible causes of the mysterious neurological condition, which was first reported in the Acholi Sub-region in the early 2000s.
Nodding Syndrome is characterized by repetitive, involuntary nodding of the head, often accompanied by epileptic seizures and other neurological complications. Despite years of investigations, its exact cause remains unclear.
Dr. Echodu says his latest investigations, conducted in collaboration with a Japanese PhD student, focused on identifying other possible risk factors beyond Onchocerca volvulus, the parasite responsible for river blindness, which has previously been associated with the syndrome.
The research team embarked on a fresh investigation about a year ago, collecting mold samples from maize gardens in Omoro, Pader and Kitgum districts, some of the areas that have experienced cases of Nodding Syndrome.
According to Dr. Echodu, laboratory analysis established that maize contaminated with particular types of molds contained significantly elevated levels of certain amino acids, prompting the researchers to investigate their possible effects on the nervous system.
To establish the potential relationship, the researchers conducted experiments involving four to five laboratory rats, dividing them into two groups. One group was fed mold-contaminated maize, while the control group was fed clean maize that was confirmed to be free from mold. The researchers closely observed the behaviour of both groups to compare any differences in symptoms.
Dr. Echodu says the experiment produced striking results, with the rats developing repetitive head-nodding movements and seizure-like symptoms resembling those observed in human Nodding Syndrome patients.
“When we gave the rats the moldy maize, they started exhibiting symptoms similar to nodding. That is where we established a very close association between eating this mold-contaminated maize and the symptoms,” Dr. Echodu told Uganda Radio Network in an interview.
He, however, says the researchers are yet to establish the quantity of contaminated food a human being would need to consume to develop the symptoms.
The team is also investigating mold contamination in sorghum after preliminary observations indicated the presence of similar amino acids in the cereal.
Dr. Echodu says the findings could provide an important lead in understanding the condition, particularly in communities where the relationship between food contamination and neurological disorders has not been adequately investigated.
He explains that earlier investigations by his team had identified high levels of mycotoxins, toxic substances produced by certain molds, in food consumed by households in Northern Uganda.
However, the researchers believe that the newly identified amino acids could provide another missing link in understanding the possible causes of Nodding Syndrome.
Dr Echodu says the team now intends to establish the precise composition and concentration of the substances and determine how much exposure could potentially trigger neurological complications.
He calls for improved post-harvest handling and food processing practices, warning that contaminated maize could enter household food supplies when farmers fail to sort out moldy grains before processing them.
Dr Echodu observes that some households, particularly those facing financial constraints, mix moldy and healthy maize during food preparation, potentially exposing family members to harmful substances.
“We encourage people to improve how they process their food. When you bring maize from the garden and start sorting it before processing, you need to remove those grains that are moldy. But because household budgets are tight, people sometimes mix everything, and that gets into the food chain,” he said.
Despite the promising preliminary findings, Dr Echodu says the research team faces a major equipment challenge that could delay efforts to establish conclusive scientific evidence.
He says the university needs a mass spectrometry machine estimated to cost more than 200 million Shillings to enable researchers to accurately identify, quantify and profile the amino acids and proteins found in the contaminated food samples.
According to him, the laboratory’s existing equipment can detect the substances but cannot provide the detailed analysis required to establish their composition and concentrations.
“We need a mass spectrometry machine to profile these proteins and amino acids. What we are doing currently is detecting them, but we need to quantify and analyze them in detail,” he said.
Dr. Echodu says the equipment would also strengthen further investigations into the biological mechanisms through which the substances could affect the brain.
However, Eng. Jonard Asiimwe Akiiki, the Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, while visiting Gulu University last week, assured scientists at the University of government support towards their innovation and research work.
Dr. Echodu’s research comes amid several scientific investigations conducted over the years to establish the possible causes of Nodding Syndrome.
In July 2014, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported identifying a crystal-like substance in portions of brain tissue obtained from children affected by the syndrome.
The investigation was conducted at the CDC laboratories in Atlanta, using four brain samples collected in April 2014 from children aged between 12 and 15 years in Northern Uganda.
Although the discovery provided another area for scientific investigation, it did not establish the definitive cause of the neurological disorder. More than 4,000 children have reportedly been affected by Nodding Syndrome in the Acholi Sub-region since the condition was first reported in the early 2000s.
Although the exact number of deaths remains unclear, data collected by the Archbishop John Baptist Odama Care Centre in Kitgum indicates that more than 500 recovering patients remain in dire need of medical care.
