Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to R D Dewar.
Information was obtained on 952 persons who travelled from Scotland between 1973 and 1988 and who died while abroad. In the older age group cardio-vascular disease was the major cause of death whereas in the younger group traumatic deaths were commonest. Most died in the holiday resorts bordering the Mediterranean and the question is posed on the need for specific advice to those who are most vulnerable before embarking on overseas travel.
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A patient is described who has Morquio syndrome (MPS IVA). He is a member of the Hutterite Brethren and genealogic analysis discloses a high inbreeding coefficient for the proband. The proband's sibship is segregating two autosomal recessive disorders, ie, MPS IVA and infantile hypophosphatasia. Two other families each have one or the other of these diseases but not both. The three families are distantly related.
A study of 370 holidaymakers returning from Romania revealed that 279 (75%) reported illness. Alimentary symptoms predominated and were recorded either alone or along with other symptoms by 71 per cent of the tourists. The highest illness rate (82%) occurred in those under 39 years of age and those over 60 years had least illness (38%). Most of the tourists attributed their illnesses to the supply, handling or preparation of food and drink. Twenty-six (21%) tourists had serological evidence of typhoid immunisation out of 121 from whom blood samples were obtained. Most of the tourists studied (85%) were immune to poliomyelitis.
Four ethnic groups of children from the Glasgow area--155 Asians, 85 Africans, 85 Chinese, and 93 Scots--were examined for neutralising to poliovirus types 1, 2, and 3. Only seven of the 418 children had no detectable antibody, and of these, four were aged less than 7 months; none had received polio vaccine. The best-protected children were the Chinese (93% with antibody to all three poliovirus types), followed by the African (81%), Scottish (78%), and Asian children (77%). We conclude that children of immigrants are no more vulnerable to poliovirus infection than their Scottish counterparts.