EDMONTON, Alberta, Aug. 24 (UPI) -- About one in 350 Canadians suffers from ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease -- one of the highest rates in the world, a study finds.
Ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, otherwise known collectively as Inflammatory Bowel Disease, or IBD, is a wearing away of the lining of the intestinal tract until it becomes red and raw and begins to bleed, like a skinned knee.
Ulcerative colitis occurs only in the large intestine, and Crohn's disease, which is more common, occurs in both the large and small intestines.
Study leader Dr. Richard Fedorak, of the University of Alberta, said the disease does not exist in some parts of the world, such as China and Africa, but does occur in northern parts of the world. The explanation may be that children in developed countries are not exposed to as many intestinal bacteria as are children in the developing world, and, therefore, some children in the developed world may not develop immune systems that are able to prevent IBD in adulthood, according to Fedorak.
"There are theories, but at this point we're not really sure what causes IBD," he said.
The study was published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.
