Tag: Endemic disease

First identified in 1935, Keshan disease is a congestive cardiomyopathy with high mortality rates, particularly in certain rural regions of China. It is most prominently linked to a combination of dietary selenium deficiency and a mutated strain of coxsackievirus B.

First identified in China during the 1930s, Keshan disease is a congestive cardiomyopathy primarily caused by a critical dietary deficiency of the trace mineral selenium, often amplified by viral co-factors. The condition is endemic to specific regions with selenium-poor soil, affecting vulnerable populations like children and women of childbearing age.

With mortality rates in severe historical outbreaks exceeding 98%, Keshan disease is a potentially fatal form of cardiomyopathy, and research confirms that a deficiency of the trace mineral selenium is its primary cause. This critical insight has been key to developing effective prevention strategies.

First discovered in China in 1935, Keshan disease is a serious form of endemic cardiomyopathy with historical mortality rates over 98% in some outbreaks, primarily linked to severe dietary selenium deficiency and viral co-factors. However, widespread selenium supplementation has dramatically reduced its incidence, shifting the primary clinical concern from acute fatalities to managing chronic and latent cases.

Keshan disease, once a fatal endemic cardiomyopathy with alarmingly high mortality rates in parts of China, is treated primarily with selenium supplementation and supportive medical therapy, strategies that have dramatically improved patient prognosis and reduced disease incidence.