Kuru observed
Sat, Apr 28, 2007 1:09 pm
Dear Dr. Sheldon,
...I did notice a reference to Kuru, which caught my eye. You refer to "At least one tribe of Papuans, on the other hand, who were known to practice cannibalism...". I spent six years in the highlands of Papua New Guinea as a medical researcher and am probable one of the last physicians to see a new case of Kuru. The highland tribes who suffered from the Kuru epidemic were most definitely not Papuans who are genetically and linguistically distinct from the inhabitants of the PNG highlands who spoke languages from the Trans-New Guinea family. The focus of the epidemic was located in the Eastern Highlands Province among the Fore people. No doubt, there were cases in other areas but not on the scale of the tribes in the Okapa district...
Regards, Peter
Dr Peter Howard
Associate Professor, Deputy Head of School
Chair, Griffith Health International Committee
Medical Epidemiologist, Public Health Physician
School of Public Health
Griffith University
Logan campus
Meadowbrook
Qld 4131
Australia