Brazil Farming Community Experiences Rare, Inherited Genetic Disease (Video)

A rare inherited skin disease known as xeroderma pigmentosum or "XP" has been plaguing parts of midwest Brazil.

Those suffering from the disease show difficulty adjusting to ultraviolet rays from sunlight and are much more susceptible to skin cancers.

"I was always exposed to the sun - working, planting and harvesting rice and caring for the cows," said Djalma Antonio Jardim, 38, of the area, via The Daily Mail. "As the years passed my condition got worse."

In the farming community of Araras, outdoor work is critical for survival. Yet for Jardim, he no longer has the option to work in agriculture.

At the age of nine, Jardim recalled a large number of freckles and small lumps appearing on his face. However, he did not recognize these tell-tale signs of XP and did not increase measures to protect his skin from the sun. Though he now wears a large straw hat to yield him from the sun, it provides little protection, according to researchers. He has also undergone more than 50 surgeries to remove skin tumors.

The National Cancer Institute notes that skin damage is one of several symptoms of the disease. Those suffering from XP may also deal with spastic muscles, deafness, developmental delays and poor coordination.

"The doctors I went to said I had a blood disorder. Others said I had a skin problem. But none said I had a genetic disease," Jardim said. "It was only in 2010 that my disease was properly diagnosed."

Jardim is not the only one in the community suffering from this rare disease. In the small population of about 800, 20 other individuals are believed to also have XP. In the United States, the numbers are only one in 1 million.

Researchers found that many people in the village are carriers of the disease--including Jardim's mother and father.

Want to learn more about the disease? Check out this video, courtesy of YouTube.