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Cancer mortality in 1970-1972 among Polish-born migrants to England and Wales.

The 1970-72 cancer mortality of Polish migrants to England and Wales is compared with the cancer mortality prevailing in England and Wales and in Poland. Small numbers limit the analyses to the most frequent cancer sites only. The main findings are: (a) Compared with mortality rates in both their country of birth and of adoption, Polish migrants displayed intermediate values for cancers of the stomach, intestinal tract, and lung. For age-groups over 74 years, lung-cancer mortality among the migrants appears, however, to be higher than in both Poland and England and Wales. (b) A distinctly higher mortality among Polish migrants than either in Poland or England and Wales was apparent for lymphomas in both sexes, and for leukaemia and oesophageal cancer in males. (c) Female breast-cancer mortality among Polish migrants was much higher than in Poland, being close to the high mortality rates prevailing in England and Wales. The present findings are compared with the results of similar studies of Polish migrants to the United States and Australia and reasons for observed differences are advanced.

Adult

Uncovering the genomic landscape of Mycobacterium bovis in Wales.

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB), caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium bovis, is one of the most pressing animal health issues in Wales today. It negatively impacts cattle health, affects profitability and trade, and can decimate years of genetic improvement towards desirable production traits. It also imposes substantial financial, social, and psychological burdens on farming communities. Eradication of bTB requires an understanding of local transmission pathways to target effective disease-control interventions. In this study, we characterised the genomic diversity of M. bovis across Wales by analysing the genome sequence of 379 M. bovis isolates obtained from culture-positive animals in Wales in 2021. Analyses uncovered three prevalent clusters that are geographically distinct. A further three clusters containing fewer isolates were also geographically separated, two of which had particularly large SNP distances from most other Welsh isolates, suggesting independent introductions of M. bovis strains that are not endemic to Wales. Fine-scale and epidemiologically relevant genetic structuring was identified within the six main clusters, indicating region-specific evolution, which can drive local disease dynamics. Finally, SNPs were identified in coding genes that have the potential for important advantageous physiological consequences that may impact host-pathogen interactions and necessitate further investigation.

Animals

The hazard of old lead mines in Wales.

Two population surveys were conducted near old lead workings in Wales. The first, at Y Fan in the middle of Wales, gave evidence suggestive of a gradient in blood lead level, highest in subjects resident close to the contaminated spoil heaps, and lowest in those who lived in farms some distance away. However, the gradient was significant (P less than 0.05) only in males, and all but one of the blood lead levels were below 2.0 mumol/l. In the second survey, at Halkyn in North Wales, levels in subjects living in the area contaminated by spoil were compared with those in subjects living in a nearby industrial area, and with subjects in a market town some distance away. Mean blood lead in people living in the three areas were homogeneous. These studies give no evidence that old lead workings in Wales are a serious hazard to health.

Adult

Estimating the impact of parvovirus B19 outbreaks on congenital anomalies and fetal outcomes in Wales.

OBJECTIVES: Parvovirus B19 (B19V) is a common infection that can cause complications in pregnancy. Outbreaks of B19V in Europe and the UK were recorded in 2024. We aimed to describe the epidemiology of maternal parvovirus in Wales and to investigate associated fetal outcomes widely and in 2024 specifically. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective observational study. METHODS: All cases of maternal B19V reported to the Congenital Anomaly Register Information Service (CARIS) were analysed. Maternal risk factors included gestational age at the time of infection and maternal age. Spatio-temporal analysis was performed to look for clusters. Poisson regression was used to model incidence of maternal B19V over time. Fetal outcomes were tested for association with risk factors using linear regression and Fisher's exact test. Outcomes and congenital anomalies were descriptively analysed. RESULTS: Between 1998 and 2025, there were 79 cases of maternal B19V across 81 fetuses, mostly reported in South Wales (74/81, 91.3%). There were 24 (29.6%) cases of at least one confirmed congenital anomaly and 57 (70.3%) cases reporting no anomalies; 53 (93%) of these cases had a positive outcome. Congenital anomalies were associated with worse fetal outcomes. Excluding terminations, the overall fetal survival rate was 88%. No association between maternal risk factors and fetal outcome was identified. There was an increase in cases in 2024 with an increase in fetal losses. CONCLUSIONS: The 2024 European B19V outbreak led to an increase in maternal cases and negative fetal outcomes in Wales.

Humans

Incidence of malignant melanoma of the skin in England and Wales and its relationship to sunshine.

In most of England and Wales the incidence of malignant melanoma of the skin has risen rapidly in recent years, especially in women. Mean incidences in the 14 English health regions and Wales correlated negatively with latitude and positively with hours of sunshine, suggesting that exposure to sunshine was an important causal factor. Male and female incidences within a region tended to show similar yearly fluctuations, implying a common factor affecting the incidence in both men and women with a short latent period of action. This factor may be exposure to sunshine, which may cause melanoma after an induction period of about two years; for women the incidence of melanoma in the regions of England and Wales correlated positively with hours of sunshine two years earlier.

England

Hydatid disease in Wales: 2. Eradication.

The importance of hydatid disease in man and domesticated animals in Britain, and particularly in Wales, is reviewed. While the disease occurs throughout Wales the rural population in Powys shows the highest rate as estimated by hospital records and serological findings. The losses due to offal condemnation in sheep and cattle are estimated as at least 250,000. It is suggested that the feasibility of an area eradication scheme for Wales should be investigated; the form which this scheme might take is outlined.

Animals

Aspects of the epidemiology of suicide in England and Wales.

This paper is concerned with the variations in suicide rates in the 161-171 local authorities in England and Wales during the 11-year period 1961-71. Analysis of the overall secular trends shows that the rates for both males and females reached a peak in 1963 and subsequently declined at a steady rate. Virtually the whole of this reduction is associated with the fall in the number of poisonings by domestic gas. Suicide rates were about 50 per cent higher in males than in females and tended to increase with increasing age and, in general, were higher in the county boroughs than in the (more rural) county authorities. There is a marked variation in terms of geographical area, with the highest rates being reported in the London and South-East Region and the lowest rates in the South-East Wales and Northern Regions. There are also systematic differences between the various conurbations, with the highest rates in London and South-East Lancashire and the lowest in Merseyside and the West Midlands. The variations between individual local authorities are then considered and it is shown that as much as 99 per cent of the total variation can be explained in terms of a small number of variables which represent the general characteristics of the the local authority and the population. The most important of these variables is the proportion of single-person housegolds, which accounts for about three-quarters of the variation in the male suicide rates and more than half of the variation in female suicide rates. The significance of these results is discussed, with particular reference to the effect of the detoxification of the domestic gas supply during the period of study.

Adolescent

Mortality from malignant tumours of bone and Paget's disease in the United States and in England and Wales.

Changes in death rates from malignant tumours of bone among successive cohorts in the U S A and in England and Wales are shown to be remarkably similar. Since cohorts born in the 1870's there have been simultaneous and equal declines in both countries and in both sexes. Comparable cohort trends are also shown for Paget's disease, although the death rates in the U S A are only about one-fifth of those in England and Wales.

Adolescent

Regional variations in the incidence of upper urinary tract stones in England and Wales.

Data from the Hospital In-patient Enquiry were used to define the regional patterns of hospital discharge rates for upper urinary tract stones and renal colic in England and Wales. By combining the rates for stones and colic, and by distinguishing emergency from planned admissions, the biases produced by repeated admissions of the same patient and by regional variations in diagnosis and coding may be reduced. There are regional variations in incidence of upper urinary tract stones: Wales and the southern regions of England have a generally higher incidence than northern regions. These variations may be related to regional differences in diet or occupation; or they may partly depend on associations between stone incidence and atmospheric temperature, exposure to ultraviolet irradiation, and hardness of drinking water.

Colic

Contribution of general practitioner hospitals in England and Wales.

A survey of a one-in-seven sample of general practitioner hospitals in England and Wales, performed to determine the contribution they make to overall hospital work load and the attitudes of the general practitioners working in them, showed that 3% of acute hospital beds in England and Wales were in general practitioner hospitals, which provided initial hospital care for up to 20% of the population. Altogether 16% of general practitioners and 22% of consultants were on the staffs, and they coped with more than 13% of all casualties, 6% of operations, and 4% of x-ray examinations. Nearly a million casualties were treated at no cost to the National Health Service. Twenty new district general hospitals would be needed to cope with the work load currently dealt with by general practitioner hospitals. The results of this survey indicate that these smaller hospitals deal efficiently and cheaply with their work load, and that morale is high. General practitioner hospitals could have an important part to play in providing certain types of care, but there are no financial incentives to enable general practitioners to realise this potential fully.

Attitude of Health Personnel

Survey of the sputum cytology service in England and Wales.

Of the 231 laboratories carrying out sputum cytology in England and Wales, information on the staffing, laboratory procedures, workload, records, and results for the year 1971 was obtained from 228 (98.7%) by means of a questionnaire, which was completed in 1973 in 81% of the laboratories and at the end of 1972 in the remainder. At the time the questionnaire was completed, the number of laboratories per region offering a service ranged from 6 to 25. Most of the processing of specimens was done by technicians and non-medical screeners (technicians without recognized qualifications) and most of the microscopy by pathologists and technicians. Papanicolaou and/or haematoxylin and eosin stains were used in 97% of the laboratories. During 1971, the number of specimens tested per laboratory ranged from 9 to 6000. A median of 381 specimens and 165 patients were tested per laboratory. Almost all specimens were submitted by hospitals and chest clinics and only 1% by general practitioners. An estimated median of 6.5% of all cytological specimens were sputum, most of the remainder being cervical smears. Laboratories varied greatly in their positive (0%-24%) and doubtful positive (0%-27%) rates. An estimated 63 000 patients had their sputum tested in 1971, and about 6300 had positive reports, rather less than one-quarter of all patients diagnosed as having lung cancer in England and Wales in 1971. The cost of the service was estimated to be of the order of pound375 000 at 1974 prices; that is, pound2.50 per specimen or pound6.00 per patient tested. An improved service might best be provided by district general hospital laboratories testing at least 1000 specimens per year so that a high level of accuracy in reporting could be assurred. A large proportion of the microscopy might be done by non-medical graduates and technicians under the supervision of pathologists.

Cervix Uteri

Serological evidence of inter-epidemic infection of feral pigs in New South Wales with Murray Valley encephalitis virus.

The sera of 617 feral pigs, collected from three widely separated areas of northern and central New South Wales, were examined for antibody to Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE) virus and to Ross River virus. Haemagglutination-inhibition (HI) antibody was detected to MVE in 58% of sera and to Ross River virus in 15% of sera. Neutralization tests suggested that the MVE HI antibody resulted from infection with MVE virus in the summers of 1971-1972 and 1972-1973 when the virus was not known to be active in New South Wales. These same tests suggested that more than one flavivirus infected the feral pigs in the summer of 1973-1974 and that Kunjin virus was active in the summer of 1975-1976.

Animals

Gastro-intestinal parasites of feral cats in New South Wales.

A total of 146 feral cats from several localities in New South Wales were examined for the presence of gastro-intestinal parasites. The cestodes recorded, and their prevalence, were Taenia taeniaeformis (21.9%), Spirometra erinacei (61.0%) and Dipylidium caninum (11.6%). One animal contained 31 T. serialis scolices considered to be the contents of a recently ingested Coenurus serialis. The common nematodes encountered and their prevalence were Toxocara cati (21.9%) and Ancylostoma spp (23.3%). Uncinaria stenocephala were found in 2 cats and a stomach wall tumour containing Cyathospirura dasyuridis was found in 1 cat, An acanthocephalan resembling Oncicola canis was the most prevalent parasite among feral cats in this survey. High burdens of S. erinacei, D. caninum, Ancylostoma spp and Oncicola sp were found. Samples from 4 localities in New South Wales were compared and there were major differences in the prevalence of T. taeniaeformis, D. caninum and T. cati. Ancylostoma spp occurred only in the Sydney (53.2%) and the Warren (4.8%) areas. Oncicola sp was not present in the Sydney area, but occurred in the Young area in 23.5% of the feral cats examined and in the Warren area (33.3%) and was most prevalent in the Menindee area (79.2%).

Animals

Helminth parasites of the fox (Vulpes vulpes) in New South Wales.

A total of 930 foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from New South Wales were examined for the presence of gastro-intestinal helminth parasites. The cestodes were represented by Taenia pisiformis with a prevalence of 15.7%, T. serialis (22.6%), T. taeniaeformis (0.1%), Spirometra erinacei (28.7%) and Dipylidium caninum (8.3%). No specimens of T. ovis, T. hydatigena or Echinococcus granulosus were encountered. Toxocara canis was the most prevalent nematode and occurred in 35.2% of foxes. Other nematodes encountered were Uncinaria stenocephala with a prevalence of 30.6%, Ancylostoma caninum (7.5%), Trichuris vulpis (2.7%) and Cyathospirura dasyuridis (0.3%). Oncicola sp was found in 1 fox. The prevalence of various parasites in foxes varied between different regions of New South Wales. All parasites, except S. erinacei and D. caninum were less prevalent in the western regions of the State. T. serialis and T. canis were more prevalent in male than female foxes. Of the parasites found T. serialis had the highest average burden per infected fox (17.9) and T. pisiformis had the lowest (2.8).

Animals

Childhood cystinuria in New South Wales. Results in children who were followed up after being detected by urinary screening in infancy.

Homozygous cystinuria was diagnosed in 45 children and 19 of their siblings in the course of routine urine screening of 6-week-old infants in New South Wales. These children were followed for up to 14 years. During this time there were 5 clinical episodes of renal disease which could be ascribed to cystinuria. There was normal mental development in all the children except one. Of 49 children over 3 years, 4 had height centiles less than the midparent height centile, while 45 had height centiles equal to or above the midparent centiles. Family testing in these 45 cases showed that 60% were type I cystinurics, and 35% were of the mixed or compound type (5% were not classified). Data from the parents and grandparents showed that renal tract calculi had occurred in 14 of them. This study shows that children with homozygous cystinuria, detected by urinary screening in infancy, rarely have renal symptoms. Mental development was normal as was growth in height. There was an increased incidence of noncystine stone formation among the relatives of these children. The incidence of homozygous cystinuria in New South Wales in one in 17 286.

Adolescent

The control of hydatid disease and ovine cysticercoses in the Australian Capital Territory and southern New South Wales.

A survey of human hydatid disease in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory over the period 1968 to 1973 was made from hospital records in Sydney and Canberra. The 162 new cases found represent an incidence, of 0-57 per 100,000 per annum, but the 20 patients living in the Central West Statistical Division of New South Wales at the time of admission to hospital represent an incidence of 12-6 per 100,000 per annum in that area. A survey of A.C.T. farms revealed dogs carrying the causative parasite Echinococcus granulosus on five out of 44 properties (11-4%). Community attitudes favoured control measures but displayed a misplaced faith in anthelmintic drugs. The high regional prevalence on the Australian mainland reveals a need to restrict availability of anthelmintics and extend the vigorous control measures employed successfully in Tasmania.

Adolescent

Cancer mortality in selected New South Wales localities with fluoridated and non-fluoridated water supplies.

The standardized cancer mortality ratios for selected localities in New South Wales with fluoridated and non-fluoridated water supplies were examined. The cancer mortality ratios for both fluoridated and non-fluoridated localities were spread along a continuum. Two localities (one fluoridated, one non-fluoridated) had standardized mortality ratios significantly lower than the New South Wales State average. No relationship was found between cancer deaths and whether water supplies had been fluoridated or not.

Australia

Intern training in New South Wales.

The process of intern training in New South Wales is at present undergoing critical examination. This article is a brief review of the status of intern training in Australia and New Zealand as revealed by a survey of accredited hospitals and the medical boards. Also reported are the results of a questionnaire widely distributed to the medical profession in New South Wales which sought its views on the nature of, and problems with, the internship.

Attitude of Health Personnel