Hyderabad, March 5 -- The high incidence of a type of Spondylitis in the Reddy community living in a particular region of Andhra Pradesh has been identified by medical experts.

The disease called Ankylosing Spondylitis is a type of arthritis that causes inflammation in the joints and ligaments of the spine.

A study by the Hyderabad-based, CSIR-CCMB has identified that one of the main reasons for this high incidence is the practice of endogamy or marrying within small communities and presence of the HLA B 27:04 risk gene, a genetic variant that increases the likelihood of developing a disease.

"We found a high incidence of ankylosing spondylitis disease in the Reddy community, who dwell in a specific geographical region of Andhra Prades...