An outbreak of Koro among 19 workers in a jute mill in south Bengal

• Main Authors: Suddhendu Chakraborty, Debasish Sanyal
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2011-01-01
• Series: Industrial Psychiatry Journal
• Subjects: Koro; culture bound syndrome; jute mill
• Online Access: http://www.industrialpsychiatry.org/article.asp?issn=0972-6748;year=2011;volume=20;issue=1;spage=58;epage=60;aulast=Chakraborty

Koro is a culture-bound syndrome that is characterized by the belief of retraction of genitals into the abdomen. It was initially reported in Asian countries, as having a usual acute and brief course. Two case clusters have been described in this article. Both occurred in the same jute mill in southern West Bengal among the workers. The case clusters depict unique socioeconomic factors and interesting health-seeking behavior toward koro. All the cases had a self-limiting course and reasonably good outcome. The case cluster yet again confirms that koro is not as rare as it is thought of and social and economic factors continue to play an important role in the etiology of the disease.