Could algal blooms in the states dry heart harbour a fatal disease?
Every month, Griffith resident Tania Magoci collects urine samples of known sufferers of the motor neurone disease in her region and couriers them to Sydney seven hours away by road. A third-generation sufferer of the rare fatal degenerative disease herself, the former hairdresser and mother of two is anxious researchers get as much information as possible to determine what triggers MND, and why areas such as the NSW Riverina have as much as seven times the national incidence. Tania Magoci, a motor neurone disease sufferer, standing by Lake Wyangan, near Griffith in the NSW Riverina. Credit:Dominique Lorrimer  The samples come from as far away as 200 kilometres, taking in such disease hotspots as Lake Cargelligo, and need to get to a lab at Macquarie University within 24 hours to be useful. They typically include a partner of the patient to provide a control, and because the university has treated four couples, researchers are on the watch for possible transmission. MND is a progressive disease that attacks nerve cells, reducing a persons ability to move, speak and breathe. Patients typically live only two to four years after diagnosis, with the number of deaths increasing 250 per cent over the past 30 years to rival national road fatalities, the scientists say.