Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis frequency in Italy. Incidence and prevalence in the province of Ferrara

An epidemiological study on the frequency of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in the province of Ferrara revealed that the average annual incidence during the years 1964 through 1978 was 0.63 per 100,000 population per year. The prevalence on December 31, 1978, was 2.07. These rates are similar to those found in other studies, supporting the view that ALS is evenly distributed throughout the world, apart from the very special type of the disease affecting the population of the Western Pacific Islands