This article is from the December 20, 2011, issue of the New York Times. I’ve written about tanzania over the years, but the article is the first time I’ve learned about this rare and deadly skin condition.
Tanzania is a rare disease that makes the skin and body appear yellowish, scaly, and dry. It’s caused by an abnormal immune response to the body’s own melanin, a pigment produced by the skin. The condition can only be treated with a melanin-replacement therapy, which involves taking a dose of a substance (usually a vitamin or mineral) that prevents the body from producing melanin.
The problem with tanzania is that it does not respond to any treatment. The cure is to be exposed to sunlight for a few weeks, but once the melanin is produced in the skin, the body no longer has the ability to turn it back into pigment. A cure is not possible.
The only way to get the melanin into the body is to go out in the sun for a few weeks. Once the melanin begins to appear on the body this is called “inhibiting the tanzania.” This can be done for as long as you are out in the sun, which is usually around a month.
Tanzania is a disease in which your body produces melanin, which causes skin to turn darker. The melanin itself can be very damaging to the skin. It has been known to cause sunburn and skin cancer. People with the disease can have very bad skin and face, and they are usually very weak and have little energy.
It’s not clear if tanzania illness leads to death in the long run, but it’s definitely a risk. In case you were wondering, though, it’s not fatal. That means the person is still able to continue to move, work, and enjoy life, but they are definitely not healthy.
The disorder is fairly common in India and is often misdiagnosed as a skin problem. If you’re concerned about it, make sure that you have a skin disease specialist examine you to rule out melanoma.
According to the National Cancer Institute, the skin cancer most commonly associated with tanzania illness is basal cell carcinoma (BCC), but the possibility of other types is not ruled out.
According to a 2006 survey by the National Cancer Institute, nearly 60 percent of people with the condition have no symptoms. Theyre not allowed to go outside, they are not allowed to take medications, and they are not allowed to have sex. All they can do is take vitamin supplements. So, if youve ever had any reason to worry about being “tanzania sick,” then its best to contact a specialist immediately.
The link between tanzania and BCC is that the two are found in the same genes. BCC is a cancer of the skin, while tanzania is found in the same parts of the body as BCC. The latter is actually found in people who are overweight and/or obese.