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encephalomyelitis affects only individuals representative of the northern peoples, Yakuts 

 and Evenki. 



Many scientists believe that Vilyuy encephalomyelitis probably belongs to the class 

 of slow neuroinfections. Such diseases, which appear to have many features in common 

 with Vilyuy encephalomyelitis (VE), used to be very common on the Kii Peninsula 

 (Japan), in the Mariana Islands and in the southwestern part of New Guinea; they were 

 known as kuru, BAS and Parkinsonism with dementia. 



Considering the lack of study of the etiology and pathogenesis of VE and the 

 absence of means of sjjecific treatment, prevention and laboratory diagnostics, an 

 attempt is being made to conduct in-depth basic research on a qualitatively new level to 

 determine the nature of VE. 



Tht Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) requests the expert committee of the WHO for 

 assistance with modem equipment for research on the VE problem. We have prepared 

 a reference document on Vilyuy encephalomyelitis for the WHO. 



The incidence of infectious diseases in Yakutia is caused not only by a decrease in 

 natural immunity, but to a greater extent by special factors (unsatisfactory conditions of 

 the water supply and poor quality of drinking water). Over the past five years, even tap 

 water was substandard with bacterial criteria from 12.8% to 19.6%. In settlements with 

 no running water, where water from open bodies of water is used, from 52.4% to 40.4% 

 of the water was substandard according to bacterial tests. 



Figure 1 shows the level of morbidity from intestinal infection, viral hepatitis and 

 tuberculosis. These data indicate an unfavorable epidemiological situation in the 

 republic. Proactive public health care can alleviate the severity of this problem by 

 carrying out a comprehensive program of preventive measures, including widespread 

 immunization of the population. We are receiving synthetic agents for increasing the 

 indices of immune homeostasis of the northerners. 



More than 60% of Yakutia's population suffer from inflammatory diseases of the 

 upper respiratory tract. Otorhinolaryngological pathology is found 1.5-2 times more 

 frequently in the migrant population and 10-15 times more frequently in the indigenous 

 population than in the population of central Russia. The specific characteristics of eye 

 pathology in the indigenous population were established. A number of symptoms were 

 revealed that characterize a genotypic variety of small ethnic groups and have 

 pathogenetic importance for the development of chronic pathology. There is a tendency 

 for diseases to become chronic against the background of explicit immunodeficiency and 

 toward a decrease in the nonspecific resistance of the whole organism. 



The demographic indices for Yakutia are presented against this background 

 (Figure 2). In the hierarchy of causes of mortality, first place belongs to diseases of 



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