[Epidemiological research in amyotrophic leukospongiosis]

The epidemiological aspects of amyotrophic leukospongiosis (AL), a slow viral infection of the central nervous system leading to the fatal outcome in 2-4 years, have been studied. As a rule, this disease is observed in the inhabitants of rural areas or in town dwellers born in rural areas and having spent there a considerable part of their life. AL occurs in persons of middle and older age; young people under 19 years and old people over 68 years of age are not affected by this infection. In contrast to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and the Jakob-Creutzfeldt disease, AL is characteristic for persons in the phase of hormonal activity. The disease starts mostly in autumn and winter; this regularity is especially pronounced in women. The morbidity level (according to the average annual data) is at present 0.3 per million of population. An increased morbidity rate is characteristic of the family and group type of the epidemic process. This higher morbidity rate, by one order higher than that observed in the sporadic type of morbidity, is caused by the gradual formation of "genetic isolates".