Strange, incurable disease spreads in Nilphamari
An incurable strange disease, marked with tumours accompanied by irritation and aching in the whole body, affects a good number of people in several villages of Saidpur and Kishoreganj upazilas under the district.
Social stigma and isolation add to the sufferings of the patients as the disease gives a peculiar look to the affected people.
Visiting the area, this correspondent found many patients of the disease in different villages including Kisamat Kadikhol, Hazarihat Talpukur and Hazarihat Daspara of Saidpur upazila and Ismail Gorerpar, Uttar Chadkhana and Magura Koillatari of Kishoreganj upazila.
Jonab Ali, 70, of Kisamat Kadikhol village of Botlagari union in Saidpur was found with blisters from foot to head.
“I was a healthy young man in my early life. But at the age of 30, when I had married and fathered two sons, a small tumour appeared on my back. Gradually, scores of tumours grew on different parts of my body with irritation, itching and pain. At first I thought the problem to be of leprosy," said Jonab.
“I received treatment at Danish-Bangladesh Leprosy Mission in Nilphamari, Rangpur Medical College Hospital, Lamb Hospital in Parbatipur, and Filaria Hospital in Saidpur but doctors finally found my disease incurable.
"Recently, my younger son Kasir Ali, 40, was also attacked with the same disease. Locals do not want to mix with us due to fear and hatred. Even we do not get work as farm labourer," said a lamenting Jonab.
Affected by the same disease, Asia Begum, 65, wife of late Nirasa Mamud of Hazarihat Talpukur cluster village of Khata Modhupur union in Saidpur upazila, has big tumours on the face, eyes and other parts of the body.
“The disease has also affected my daughter Shamsunnahar, 40, making her look horrible. Now her husband wants to divorce her although they have children," she said.
In many families the disease is passed from generation to generation.
“I inherited this disease from my forefathers. My father, grandfather and a few close relatives died after suffering for long with the disease," said Abdul Jabbar, 68, of Ismail Gorerpar village in Kishoreganj Sadar union.
"My son Wahidul, 35, and sister Amisa Bewa, 50, are also affected with the incurable disease. People do not want to give us work. Often we have to remain unfed or half-fed as we have to depend on charity for survival," he said.
Many others including Namiruddin of nearby Bottoli village, Alefjon of Magura Jummapara village, and Nisi Das of Daspara village are facing a sort of social isolation due to the disease.
A sense of stigma and frustration always haunts the victims of the strange disease, Saidur Rahman, chairman of Botlagari union parishad, said, adding that he arranged some help for them from the government's social safety net fund.
"The disease called neurofibromatosis is caused by mutation of gene in human body. No surgery or medicine is yet to prove effective to cure it,” said Cynthia Ruth Butlin, medical advisor of Danish Bangladesh Leprosy Mission in Nilphamari.
Dr Abdur Rashid, civil surgeon of the district, said, "Half of the cases of the disease are found to be genetically received. It shortens the life span of patients by several years. Till now, there is no remedy for the disease.”
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