The mystery of the village where more than half of the population is congenitally deaf and mute

More than 50% of the residents of Gokova village in Türkiye are born deaf or mute. Photo: Newsflash/NX

Village chief Gokova Eyup Tozn said residents had learned to use sign language to communicate and there were almost no healthy people in the village.

The problem is so pervasive that sign language has become the de facto standard. Gokova, a village boasting turquoise waters and majestic mountains, is so remote that newcomers rarely come.

Sati Tozun, a villager, said she has four disabled children and three deaf and mute grandchildren. Her sister-in-law also has a disabled child and described the village as "full of disabled people".

The cause of the condition is unknown. Some believe the high rate of deafness may be due to inbreeding in areas where few strangers are present. But others suspect generations of water pollution are causing health problems. Metals such as iron and arsenic, and chemical pollution from industrial waste, have long been linked to deafness.

Tozn, the village chief, is more inclined to believe that water pollution is the cause than incest. Another villager, Rahmi Cizin, also notes that the villagers have no access to clean water and a high rate of disabilities, all of whom require care.

Gokova's case has similarities to Dhadkaie, a remote village in Kashmir (India) that is believed to have the highest rate of congenital deafness in the world with about 2,800 residents.

TB (summary)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/bi-an-ngoi-lang-co-hon-nua-dan-so-bi-cam-diec-bam-sinh-409300.html