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Israeli researchers say the unusual frequency of Parkinson's disease in Baqa al-Gharbiyeh is linked to pesticides sprayed in nearby fields. The researchers from Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva, Ben-Gurion University, the Clalit HMO and the Hillel Yaffeh Medical Center examined the prevalence of Parkinson's disease in the communities in Wadi Ara in the north. Compared to the relatively low incidence of the disease in Umm al-Fahm, with 34.84 cases per 100,000 residents, and even fewer in Kafr Qara, 25.45 per 100,000, as well as Ara and Arara, 18.45 per 100,000, Baqa al- Gharbiyeh stands out. That city has 73.39 cases per 100,000 residents. The numbers were taken from family physicians with patients treated with medication aimed at Parkinson's disease, and from Hillel Yaffeh for patients being treated for mobility problems. Since Wadi Ara's residents are mostly Arab Israelis of similar genetic origin and lifestyles, the researchers say the high incidence of Parkinson's disease in Baqa al-Gharbiyeh is linked to high exposure to pesticides. "Baqa is surrounded by many fields, and its residents are regularly exposed to pesticides that are dumped by small aircraft," say the researchers. Earlier research has shown a link between exposure to pesticides and Parkinson's, but the researchers say no specific substance in pesticides has been proved to cause the disease directly. The research is being published this month in the Israel Medical Association Journal. Dr. Rafik Masalha, head of the epilepsy clinic at Soroka, says that "in Baqa there is higher exposure to industrial agriculture, which includes the use of pesticides, and there are many more farmers compared to other communities in Wadi Ara, whose livelihood is more based on urban work or construction. It was proved that pesticides inhaled can affect the brain stem, which is responsible for the production of dopamine." Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, and dopamine deficiency causes Parkinson's, a degenerative disease that affects motor skills and speech. Masalha says people can be exposed to pesticides by drinking contaminated water. Last summer, UCLA researchers said they documented a rise in Parkinson's in a valley in California where residents were exposed to water wells polluted by pesticides. In any case, the Health Ministry says that in recent years it has not noted any unusual concentrations of pesticides in Baqa al-Gharbiyeh's drinking water. "The community has for many years been drinking water from the Mekorot's Metzer pool. The source of the water is the National Water Carrier, and mostly the Kinneret, and the water is not exclusively delivered to Baqa al-Gharbiyeh, but to many in the north," the statement read. "The use of pesticides in Israel is reasonable and under supervision. Well water is examined routinely and meets the strictest standards set by the World Health Organization and the U.S. health authorities. If pollution is found in a well, it is shut down. Pollution in wells as a result of pesticides is rare in Israel." In general, with the exception of Baqa al-Gharbiyeh, the incidence of the disease in Wadi Ara is similar to that in Arab countries, including Tunisia, with 43 cases per 100,000 residents, Libya, with 31.4 per 100,000, and Saudi Arabia, with 27 per 100,000. The frequency, however, is lower than in some Jewish communities. Research in kibbutzim a decade ago showed a rate of 160 cases per 100,000 residents. The Health Ministry has no national database of Parkinson's patients; the new research is the first to discuss the incidence of the disease in a specific community compared to its environs. The researchers say their findings help show the link between pesticides in Israeli agriculture and Parkinson's, when also considering ethnic origin and environment. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn