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Biomedical subjects

M Bucens

Publications and source records attributed to M Bucens.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1990

Markers of hepatitis B virus infection in schoolchildren in the Kimberley, Western Australia.

In 1986 the Aboriginal community in Western Australia was identified as a high-risk group for hepatitis B virus infection. An immunization programme was commenced in 1988 but concerns were expressed about horizontal transmission, especially in schools, to the low-risk Caucasian group and whether they should also be included in the vaccination programme. To estimate the extent of this occurrence, a survey of schoolchildren from two district high schools in Broome and Derby in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia was carried out in March 1989. A total of 607 students aged 4 to 19 years were included in the study. None of the 300 Caucasian students had any serological markers of hepatitis B virus infection (95% confidence interval (CI) upper limit, 1.3%). Eighteen children were found to be seropositive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg); 17 were Aboriginal and one Asian. In addition, 61 Aboriginal students and one Asian had hepatitis B surface antibody (antiHBs). The hepatitis B virus infection rate in these Aboriginal children is 28.2% (95% CI, 23.2%-33.7%) with a carrier rate of 6.1% (95% CI, 3.9%-9.6%). This study demonstrates that Caucasian students have a very low risk of infection with hepatitis B virus in this community, and there is therefore no need to extend the hepatitis B vaccination programme beyond the already identified high-risk groups.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Serum antibodies to human enteric coronavirus-like particles in Australia, South Africa, Indonesia, Niue, and Papua New Guinea.

Relatively high levels of antibody to human enteric coronavirus-like particles were detected in the sera from rural Aborigines in Australia. Levels were generally much lower in the sera from urban Aborigines, and extremely low to not detectable in the sera from Europeans. Antibody to coronavirus-like particles was also detected in the sera from rural blacks from South Africa, in the sera from Indonesia and Niue, and also possibly in the sera from rural villagers from Papua New Guinea, but in the latter case at only very low level.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Japanese encephalitis and the traveller.

Japanese encephalitis is a mosquito borne arbovirus disease that is endemic over a wide area of Asia, India, and the south eastern USSR. The disease is associated with a severe encephalitis, a high death rate and a high incidence of neurological sequelae in survivors. While natives of endemic areas may develop immunity, Western travellers are at risk. To date there have been two reported cases of Japanese encephalitis in people returning to Australia from overseas. A vaccine against Japanese encephalitis is available.

Encephalitis, Japanese↗
PubMed1990

Rabies and the traveller.

Human rabies is an invariably fatal disease once it manifests clinically. The disease, however, is preventable if medical practitioners and potential victims are adequately educated, and if pre-exposure vaccination is used judiciously. The disease has a worldwide distribution and travellers to many areas are at risk. The authors provide information for people who may be at risk through travel, explain how the disease is diagnosed and describe the use of vaccination before and after exposure.

Humans↗
PubMed1985

Mumps as a cause of admission to hospital: an estimate for Western Australia 1981.

Close to 40% of children admitted to Princess Margaret Hospital with mumps over the period 1979 to 1982 were diagnosed retrospectively as a result of virological tests and their illness was not coded as being due to mumps. This clinical underestimate of the incidence of mumps is due to the frequent absence of salivary gland enlargement, especially in preschool children. In such cases there is usually evidence of inflammation of the upper respiratory tract. The main clinical features leading to admission were neck stiffness, fits and high fever. An appropriate adjustment was made to the figures obtained from the computerised data on discharges with the diagnosis of mumps from Western Australian hospitals in 1981. This led to the estimate that 104 patients suffering from mumps were discharged from hospital during that year. It was also estimated that mumps was responsible for 379 in-patient days. Our findings show that the benefit cost ratios for mumps immunization of others are underestimates.

Adolescent↗