In a case that could have come straight from the pages of a medical thriller, Italy is investigating a mysterious epidemic among former professional footballers, dozens of whom have been killed by a disease that paralyses its victims.
The latest to be stricken is Stefano Borgonovo, a 44-year-old former striker for AC Milan. His announcement that he was suffering from motor neurone disease (MND) was made from a wheelchair with a computer-generated voice and has chilled a nation of football fans who are used to considering players as idols rather than martyrs.
A climate of fear and suspicion hangs over the stadiums. According to one theory, the incurable disease might be linked to pesticides used on football pitches. Others suggest it could be a result of doping or physical injuries from tackles or repeatedly heading the ball.
“The truth is, we just don’t know,” said Adriano Chio, a neurologist and Italy’s foremost expert on the condition, which is known in America as Lou Gehrig’s disease after an American baseball player who died of it in 1941.
Chio’s research has shown that professional footballers in Italy are seven times more likely to develop motor neurone disease than others. Midfielders seem particularly vulnerable, perhaps because they are tackled more than other players.
Other European countries, including Britain, are taking note. Spain says it knows of no cases among its footballers and French doctors also were unaware of any link between football and the disease, but note that mysterious “clusters” of sufferers have occurred at different times in different parts of the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment