Yarsagumba Fungus: Health Problems in the Himalayan Gold Rush.

Introduction: Seasonal migration of people in search of Yarsagumba fungus creates a population of collectors that faces hardship and health risks in austere high-altitude settings.

Methods: In 2016, our 4-person team performed a 2-day health-needs survey of people collecting Yarsagumba fungus near the village of Yak Kharka (4020 m) in the Manang District of Nepal.

Results: There were approximately 800 people, both male and female, from age 10 to over 60, collecting Yarsagumba fungus.

A Preliminary Genome-Wide Association Study of Acute Mountain Sickness Susceptibility in a Group of Nepalese Pilgrims Ascending to 4380 m.

There is significant interindividual variation in acute mountain sickness (AMS) susceptibility in humans. To identify genes related to AMS susceptibility, we used a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to simultaneously test associations between genetic variants dispersed throughout the genome and the presence and severity of AMS. DNA samples were collected from subjects who ascended rapidly to Gosainkunda, Nepal (4380 m), as part of the 2005, 2010, and 2012 Janai Purnima festivals.

A prospective epidemiological study of acute mountain sickness in Nepalese pilgrims ascending to high altitude (4380 m).

Background: Each year, thousands of pilgrims travel to the Janai Purnima festival in Gosainkunda, Nepal (4380 m), ascending rapidly and often without the aid of pharmaceutical prophylaxis.

Methods: During the 2012 Janai Purnima festival, 538 subjects were recruited in Dhunche (1950 m) before ascending to Gosainkunda. Through interviews, subjects provided demographic information, ratings of AMS symptoms (Lake Louise Scores; LLS), ascent profiles, and strategies for prophylaxis.