Number Of Male Cases Research Articles

Retrospective Assessment of Forensic Facts Under 18 Years of Age in İzmir

Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the cases under the age of 18 who applied to the forensic medicine outpatient clinic of our hospital in İzmir.
 Material and Methods: Among the 6,492 reports prepared for the patients who applied to İzmir Katip Çelebi University, Atatürk Training and Research Hospital Forensic Medicine Polyclinic between January 2019 and January 2022, 471 final reports prepared for forensic cases under the age of 18; age, gender, type of incident, area of injury, according to TCK 86 law clause; It was examined retrospectively with parameters such as whether it is life-threatening or not, and whether it can be eliminated with a simple medical intervention or not.
 Results: In our study, 471 reports were examined; The most common age was 18, the mean age was 14, the number of girl cases was 203 (43.1%), the number of male cases was 268 (56.9%), the most common type of event was the assault, while traffic accidents were the second most frequent, the most frequently injured body area in cases under 18 years old was the extremities in 154 (32.7%), followed by head injuries in 101 (21.4%) cases, and life-threatening injuries in 19 (4%) cases. It was found that it was seen most frequently in July and least in April.
 Conclusion: The data determined in our study were in parallel with similar studies in the literature, while the most common cause of death in autopsy series was determined as traffic accident, it was seen that the most common cause of injury in outpatients who applied to our polyclinic was assault.

Decadal trend analysis and epidemiological pattern of animal bite cases in a tertiary care hospital of North India

Abstract Background: Animal bites to humans are a public health problem, posing a potential threat of rabies to over 3.3 billion people worldwide. Knowledge regarding various epidemiological aspects of animal bite cases will be helpful to achieve the target of rabies elimination. In this regard, this study aimed to determine the trend and epidemiology of animal bite cases in a tertiary care hospital of North India. Materials and Methods: The secondary data analysis of records was conducted in Antirabies Clinic of BPS Government Medical College for Women Khanpur Kalan, Sonepat. Nearly all the facilities for animal bite management are available in this antirabies clinic hence a reasonable coverage is expected. The data of cases reported in 10 years (January 2012 to December 2021) were analyzed after seeking necessary permission from the authorities. Results: A total of 35,427 new cases of animal bite were reported in the decade. After interpretation of data from 2012 to 2021, the frequency of cases showed a rising trend from the year 2012, with the highest number of cases in the year 2019, while animal bite cases were maximum in month of March followed by February. There were almost two-third number of cases in males as compared to one-third females, with highest number of cases being in rural area. Conclusion: Animal bite cases are rising over the years. Most of the animal bite cases occurred during the start of the spring season, commonly occurred in children and males. We need to increase the frequency of information, education, and communication activities to properly handle animal bite so that rabies can be prevented and the target of rabies elimination by 2030 can be achieved.

Rising percentage of new female leprosy cases since 2004

Objectives We determined the male and female ratio of new leprosy cases detected over 15 years, allowing future exploration of inequalities pertaining to biological sex and social aspects of gender, which negatively impact women. Methods We extracted sex-disaggregated data from the annual Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER) Global leprosy situation reports, from 2004 to 2020, to determine the temporal pattern of new cases detected, by gender. Results Sex disaggregated leprosy data was only consistently reported in WER papers from 2004. The absolute number of female cases detected has remained static over the last 15 years (80,000–90,000 new cases annually). A 56.2% reduction in the number of male cases was observed from 2004–2019, whereas amongst females the reduction was only 37.5%. The difference in gender-specific reduction in case detection was similar in 5 of 6 WHO regions. There is a clear trend of increasing female percent amongst new cases detected from 2004 onwards; 30.8% of all new cases detected in 2004 were female, rising to 38.9% in 2019. Conclusions Sex-disaggregated data reporting at the national and international level needs to remain a priority. Further research is needed to understand why the percentage of new female cases detected amongst all new cases is increasing and the role biological factors play in leprosy transmission.

An exploratory transmission mode of HIV/AIDS among older people based on data from multiple sources in China

The HIV/AIDS cases and proportion in older people are continuously and rapidly increasing in China, especially in males. However, the transmission mechanism is not well understood. This study aims to explore the transmission mechanism of HIV/AIDS and potential ways to prevent or control HIV/AIDS transmission in a city in southwestern China. Data from multiple sources, including HIV/AIDS case reports in 2010–2020, a survey of HIV/AIDS cases in 2020, and sentinel surveillance data of female sex workers (FSWs) in 2016–2020 were analyzed. We explored the transmission mechanism of HIV/AIDS cases aged 50 years and older. In this city, the number of newly reported HIV/AIDS cases aged 50 years and older increased from 2010 to 2019, and decreased in 2020. The number of male and female cases aged 50 years and older both increased rapidly in 2017–2019, though the number of male cases was larger than that of female. The survey data showed that 84.7% of older male cases reported commercial sexual behavior, among whom 87.7% reported never using condom and 37.6% reported more than 10 times of commercial sexual behaviors in 1 year. In terms of price of sexual behavior, 68.3% of older male cases sought low-tier FSWs among whom the HIV/AIDS positive rate was 5.4% from the sentinel surveillance data. These results suggested HIV transmission between older men and low-tier FSWs through commercial sexual behavior. Among female cases aged 50 years and older, most reported non-marital and non-commercial heterosexual (60.5%) or regular sexual partner (31.4%) transmission, suggesting that they were infected by their spouse/regular sexual partner. Data of matched couples showed that most male cases had both marital sexual behavior and commercial sexual behavior, or acquired HIV through commercial sexual behavior, while most female cases had only marital sexual behavior. Based on these findings, we proposed a transmission mode of that local older male people and FSWs are transmitting bilaterally through commercial sexual behavior, and local older male people are spreading to local older female people through spouse or regular sexual partner route. By studying data from multiple sources, we explored the HIV transmission mode among older people. In the meantime, we found that marital status had a different impact on male and female old people in their sex behaviors.

Analysis of epidemic characteristics of anthrax in China from 2017 to 2019 and molecular typing of Bacillus anthracis

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of anthrax in China from 2017 to 2019 and molecular typing of Bacillus anthracis isolated from some provinces (autonomous regions). Methods: Surveillance data of anthrax cases reported from 2017 to 2019 in the Infectious Disease Surveillance information System of China Disease Prevention and Control and the Public Health Emergency Reporting and Management Information System were collected, and descriptive epidemiological methods were used to analyze the epidemic characteristics, including the temporal, geographic and demographic distribution of this disease. A total of 47 strains of Bacillus anthracis isolated from 2017 to 2019 were analyzed by canSNP and MLVA15. Results: A total of 951 cases of anthrax were reported from 2017 to 2019, of which 938 were cutaneous anthrax, representing 98.63% of the total number reported. It was mainly distributed in the west and northeast of China, and the three provinces with the highest number of cases were Gansu (215), Sichuan (202) and Qinghai (191). Cases had been reported throughout the year, more cases occurred in the summer and autumn, and August was the month with the most cases,66.35% (211/318), 72.32% (243/336) and 68.01% (202/297) of cases were reported during June to September. The age distribution was mainly between 20 and 59 years old, accounting for more than 80% of all cases. The number of male cases was significantly higher than that of female cases, the ratio of male to female was about 3∶1. The occupations were mainly herdsmen and farmers, accounting for 49.70% to 58.18% and 31.45% to 36.70%, respectively. Public health events occurred every year, and 29 events had been reported from 2017 to 2019. canSNP analysis showed that 37 of the 47 strains belonged to the A.Br.001/002 subgroup and 10 belonged to the A.Br.Ames subgroup. MLVA15 analysis showed that there were 17 genotypes, of which 10 genotypes contained only one strain. Conclusion: Cutaneous anthrax was the predominant clinical type in China from 2017 to 2019.The seasonal, geographic and demographic distribution characteristics were evident.Molecular typing methods such as canSNP and MLVA15 can be used to trace the source of infectious diseases and provide technical support for anthrax prevention and control.

Epidemiology of COVID-19 cases diagnosed at quarantine facilities in Paraguay

Aims: This study aimed to describe the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 cases diagnosed in quarantine facilities in Paraguay.Methods: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional, temporarily retrospective study. The time scope was from April 1 to September 30 2020. The variables were sex, age and administrative departments. The open access data available on the website of the Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare was used. Frequencies expressed in percentages and the Chi square value were calculated to observe the statistically significant differences between cases and age and sex.Results: from April 4 to September 30 2020, 1.581 cases were diagnosed in COVID-19. The fewest number of positive cases were reported in April (50) and the highest number was reported in May (628). From the total, 69.6% (1.101) were male, (male / female ratio 2.3), 42.1% (666) were aged between 20-29 years, the average age was 30.23 years (range 0 to 87, standard deviation 14.66. 95% CI 1.5 - 58.95). The departments with the highest number of cases were Caaguazú 21.7 % (343), Alto Paraná 17.3 % (274), Central 13.3% (210) and Asunción 11.4% (180). The least number of cases of COVID-10 in women were registered in the Departments of Amambay, Pdte. Hayes, Ñeembucú and Boquerón, and in men the Departments of Ñeembucú and Boquerón. The largest number of male cases were registered in Caaguazú 70.8% (243), Alto Paraná 66.1% (181), Central 69.5% (146) and Asunción 68.9% (124). The number of Covid-19 infected people in quarantine facilities presented statistically significant differences between the variables sex and age.Conclusion: the quarantine facilities are one of the measures that the Paraguayan government needed to avoid the rapid spread and dispersion of the virus. The epidemiology of the cases diagnosed in them corresponds to what was expected according to the characteristics of the country.

Epidemiology of COVID-19 in older persons, Wuhan, China.

Backgroundthe epidemiological characteristics of older patients with COVID-19 was far from clear.Objectiveto explore the epidemiology of older patients with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China.Designa retrospective cross-sectional study.Settinga population-based study.Subjectsthe resident older patients (>65 years) diagnosed with COVID-19.Methodscity-wide case series reported to Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention from 12 December 2019 to 17 March 2020 were included. The epidemic curves were constructed by dates of disease onset.Results14,238 confirmed COVID-19 cases were older persons. The number of male cases were slightly less than female cases (1:1.01). The attack rate of COVID-19 in the older persons was 11.49‰ in Wuhan. There was a rapid increase of disease at the early stage of the epidemic and then a gradual and steady decrease was performed. 3,723 (26.15%) and 734 (5.16%) patients were diagnosed as severe and critical cases, respectively. The attributable crude fatality ratio of COVID-19 in the older population was 222.57/100,000, and the crude fatality ratio of COVID was 19.37%. The proportion of severe and critical cases, and fatality ratio were both higher in downtown area and increased with age.Conclusionsthe older persons are sensitive to COVID-19. The proportion of severe and critical cases and fatality ratio are higher than that in children and younger adults. Strengthen the protection and control strategies for the older adults are of priorities. More detailed epidemiological and clinical information should be measured in further studies.

Temporal Trends in the Epidemiology of HIV in Turkey.

The aim of this study was to analyze the temporal trends of HIV epidemiology in Turkey from 2011 to 2016. Thirty-four teams from 28 centers at 17 different cities participated in this retrospective study. Participating centers were asked to complete a structured form containing questions about epidemiologic, demographic and clinical characteristics of patients presented with new HIV diagnosis between 2011 and 2016. Demographic data from all centers (complete or partial) were included in the analyses. For the cascade of care analysis, 15 centers that provided full data from 2011 to 2016 were included. Overall and annual distributions of the data were calculated as percentages and the Chi square test was used to determine temporal changes. A total of 2,953 patients between 2011 and 2016 were included. Overall male to female ratio was 5:1 with a significant increase in the number of male cases from 2011 to 2016 (p<0.001). The highest prevalence was among those aged 25-34 years followed by the 35-44 age bracket. The most common reason for HIV testing was illness (35%). While the frequency of sex among men who have sex with men increased from 16% to 30.6% (p<0.001) over the study period, heterosexual intercourse (53%) was found to be the most common transmission route. Overall, 29% of the cases presented with a CD4 count of >500 cells/mm3 while 46.7% presented with a CD4 T cell count of <350 cells/mm3. Among newly diagnosed cases, 79% were retained in care, and all such cases initiated ART with 73% achieving viral suppression after six months of antiretroviral therapy. The epidemiologic profile of HIV infected individuals is changing rapidly in Turkey with an increasing trend in the number of newly diagnosed people disclosing themselves as MSM. New diagnoses were mostly at a young age. The late diagnosis was found to be a challenging issue. Despite the unavailability of data for the first 90, Turkey is close to the last two steps of 90-90-90 targets.

Epidemiological characteristics and medical expenses of acute occupational poisoning hospitalization in 5 monitoring counties (cities, districts) of Shandong Province from 2012 to 2018

The data were drawn from injury hospitalization surveillance system in Shandong province. From 2012 to 2018, 164 cases of acute occupational poisoning were reported from five surveillance counties (cities, districts), accounting for 6.11% (164/2 683) of total accidental poisoning cases. The annual average reported incidence of acute occupational poisoning hospitalization was 1.15/100 000. The number of male cases was 3.3 times that of females (126 vs 38). The poisoning cases mainly occurred between January to May in a year and 5-7 AM within a day. Those cases were mainly caused by irritating gases (92 cases, 56.10%) and asphyxiating gases (53 cases, 32.32%), of which chlorine (71 cases) and carbon monoxide (50 cases) were the main reasons. The average hospitalization medical cost of acute occupational poisoning cases was 7 278.81 RMB per case.

Zika virus dynamics: When does sexual transmission matter?

The Zika virus (ZIKV) has captured worldwide attention with the ongoing epidemic in South America and its link to severe birth defects, most notably microcephaly. ZIKV is spread to humans through a combination of vector and sexual transmission, but the relative contribution of these transmission routes to the overall epidemic remains largely unknown. Furthermore, a disparity in the reported number of infections between males and females has been observed. We develop a mathematical model that describes the transmission dynamics of ZIKV to determine the processes driving the observed epidemic patterns. Our model reveals a 4.8% contribution of sexual transmission to the basic reproductive number, R0. This contribution is too minor to independently sustain an outbreak but suggests that vector transmission is the main driver of the ongoing epidemic. We also find a minor, yet statistically significant, difference in the mean number of cases in males and females, both at the peak of the epidemic and at equilibrium. While this suggests an intrinsic disparity between males and females, the differences do not account for the vastly greater number of reported cases for females, indicative of a large reporting bias. In addition, we identify conditions under which sexual transmission may play a key role in sparking an epidemic, including temperate areas where ZIKV mosquito vectors are less prevalent.

The epidemiological features and clinical analysis of 119 brucellosis cases

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics, clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment effect of brucella in=nfection, and to provide practical foundation and valuable experience for clinical treatment and prevention of brucellosis. Methods One hundred and nineteen patients with brucella infection hospitalized at the First Hospital of Lanzhou University from January 1st 2011 to July 30th 2011 were enrolled. Clinical data including gender, age, contact history with bovine and clinical manifestations such as fever, sweating and joint and muscle pain were extracted. Diagnosis and treatment effect of these patients were all recorded. The epidemiological characteristics and clinical manifestations were analyzed. Results The majority of patients were middle-aged male, and the number of male cases were 2.5 times of female cases. The brucella infections were observed all seasons in Lanzhou, while most cases were observed between May and July. A total of 78 cases had clear animal contact history. Among them, 53 cases (44.54%) had contact history with bovine. Main clinical manifestations included fever (n=84, 70.59%), muscle and joint pain (n=93, 78.15%), sweating (n=52, 43.70%), fatigue (n=29, 24.37%), and the most common clinical symptoms was joint and muscle pain. Blood routine test showed neutropenia (n=25, 21.01%), increase in blood sedimentation (n=34, 28.57%) and blood coagulation dysfunction (n=30, 25.21%). Liver function examination showed increase in ALT (n=37, 31.09%) and AST (n=43, 36.13%). Other examination showed that splenomegaly (n=28, 23.52%) was the most common finding, and liver diffuse lesions (n=22, 18.49%) ranked second. The most common drugs were doxycycline (n=79, 66.39%), rifampin (n=60, 50.42%) and cephalosporins (n=50, 42.02%). Among them, 45 cases (37.82%) were treated with combination therapy of rifampin and doxycycline, and 31 cases were treated with combination therapy of doxycycline and rifapentine or cephalosporins. Totally 112 cases (94.12%) recovered. Conclusions The majority of patients with brucellosis are male. The clinical manifestations of brucellosis are varied. Clinicians should pay attention to identify and prevent misdiagnosis. The timely and effective treatment should be provided according to patients’ conditions. The relevant departments should also strengthen supervision and education of brucellosis. Key words: Brucellosis; Epidemiological characteristic; Clinical manifestations; Diagnosis; Treatment

Gender disparity in tuberculosis cases in eastern and western provinces of Pakistan

BackgroundAlthough globally, the number of notified TB cases is higher for males, a few countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (Afghanistan; Lebanon; Iran and Pakistan) of the World Health Organization have a relatively higher number of female cases. Pakistan ranks fifth amongst the highest TB burden countries and poses a rich ground for exploratory research to address the gender differences in TB cases. It is uniquely neighboured by India on the East, having higher number of cases in males than in females, and by Afghanistan and Iran on the West, having higher number of cases in females than in males. The objective is to see whether these gender differences are evenly distributed across the country or vary by geographies, to enable effective targeting of TB control strategies.MethodsCross-sectional analysis was carried out on secondary data, obtained from National Tuberculosis Program. Disaggregated at the provincial level, the sex-specific case notification rates (CNR) were calculated and trends over a 10-year span (2001–2010) were examined. Sex-specific differences for the four Pakistani provinces were analyzed using chi-square test and odds ratios with corresponding confidence intervals. Cumulative countrywide sex-specific notification rates were used as the reference group.ResultsThe trends for 2001–2010 in the western provinces of Pakistan show higher female CNR as compared to those seen in the eastern provinces having slightly higher male CNR. The proportions of female notified TB cases are approximately twice as high in the western provinces when compared to the eastern provinces and Pakistan over all.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that females are particularly affected by TB disease burden in the west parts of Pakistan. This gender disparity requires a coordinated regional and international effort to further explore triggers and moderators of increased acquisition and progression of TB disease among females in the region to guarantee effective TB control.

Prognostic factors and trends in outcome for small cell lung cancer over 20 years.

e17518 Background: There has been little change in the chemotherapeutic treatment of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) over the last 30 years but changes in radiotherapy have demonstrated a survival benefit in clinical trails. There is substantial disagreement in the literature on whether or not there has been an improvement in survival for SCLC patients and which patient characteristics serve as important prognostic factors. The majority of the data comes from the selective population of patients included in clinical trials, which do not necessarily reflect real world therapeutic effectiveness. Methods: Using the Manitoba Cancer Registry and Manitoba’s physician billing database, we extracted information on all patients receiving a pathologic diagnosis of SCLC in the Canadian province of Manitoba between Jan 1, 1985 and Dec 31, 2004. Linear regression and Cox proportional hazard regression were then used to determine trends in SCLC incidence, survival, sex distribution, treatment, and prognostic factors. Results: Over the course of the study, the number of cases of SCLC diagnosed each year decreased by 1.41 cases/year (p=0.007), due entirely to a decrease in male cases. The proportion of females increased by 1%/year (p&lt;0.001, 95% CI [0.007, 0.013]). In the whole study population, the proportion of patients receiving no antineoplastic treatment increased dramatically with age, from 11.7% in those ≤50 to 50.6% in patients &gt;80 years old (p&lt;0.001). There has been no change in 2 or 5-year survival (p&gt;0.05 at both time points), which is true for both males and females. Two-year survival was 12.7% for females vs 8% for males (p&lt;0.001), and at 5 years 5.3% of females vs 2.6% of males survive (p=0.002). Male sex was a negative prognostic factor with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.27 (95% CI [1.16, 1.39]). Conclusions: Female sex is a positive prognostic factor in SCLC. In this population based trial, evolution of therapy over 20 years did not translate into improved survival. A further decline solely in the number of male cases may independently improve survival in the future.

Epidemiology and etiology of hand-foot-and-mouth disease seen in Jiangsu province from 2008 to 2010

To analyze the etiological and epidemiological characteristics of hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) seen in Jiangsu province from 2008 to 2010, and provide evidence for its prevention and control. Based on the requirement of supervision program of HFMD, surveillance and report were done according to National Disease Supervision Information Management System. Descriptive epidemiological method, performed between 2008 and 2010, was used to analyze the time, region and population distribution and results of etiologic analysis of HFMD. Nucleic acid of enterovirus (EV) genome was detected by real-time RT-PCR. The average incidence rate of HFMD was 86.70 per million between 2008 and 2010, the peak incidence occurred in April to July. There were significant differences among the incidence in different districts (P<0.05), and the highest incidence was seen in the densely inhabited southern areas of Jiangsu province. Most of the cases were infants and children aged less than 5 years. The number of male cases (2008: 17,008, 2009: 48 768, 2010: 50,231) was much larger than that of the female cases 2008: 9662, 2009: 29 151, 2010: 30,655. The HFMD cases with mild symptoms were caused mainly by enterovirus 71 (EV71) and coxsackievirus A16 (Cox A16) and there was difference among different years. The severe HFMD cases and deaths were mainly caused by EV71 infection. The epidemiologic characteristics of HFMD in Jiangsu province from 2008 to 2010 had close relationship with season, population and region. The mild cases of HFMD were mainly infected with EV71 and Cox A16. However, EV71 illness seemed to be more severe and had significantly greater frequency of serious complications and fatality than the illness caused by Cox A16.

AIDS e doenças oportunistas transmissíveis na faixa de fronteira Brasileira

Person-to-person transmission of HIV and other communicable diseases may be associated with human geographic mobility. This article evaluated the incidence of transmissible opportunistic diseases among AIDS cases that had been reported by municipalities in the Brazilian border area. Brazilian border area municipalities were grouped into three cultural regions; the source data was AIDS cases registered with the Ministry of Health from 1990 to 2003, which were classified according to CDC-adapted, Rio de Janeiro/Caracas and death criteria; detected communicable opportunistic diseases were categorized into groups according to transmission: 1) inhalation agent; 2) contaminated water and/or food ingestion, and 3) interpersonal contact. The descriptive evaluation considered cultural region, years of schooling, sex and age group. Different AIDS incidence patterns were observed among groups of opportunistic diseases in each cultural region. The extreme southern region showed the greatest incidence of AIDS; the absolute incidence of female cases was greatest in the category of heterosexual transmission; the number of male cases was greatest among intravenous drug users; transmission was most frequent in the interpersonal contact group, particularly incidences of candidiasis; tuberculoses and pneumonias were most frequent in the inhalation agent transmission group; the contaminated water/food ingestion transmission group showed an unchanged pattern of absolute incidence. The Brazilian border area is a very important and heterogeneous geographic phenomenon; AIDS programs must recognize different cultural geographies.

Analysis on the characteristics of injuries from the Chinese National Injury Surveillance System

To analyze the injury characteristics, using data from the National Injury Surveillance System (NISS), 2006 to 2008, to develop a injury prevention strategy. 129 hospitals from 43 surveillance points in NISS were selected according to the DSP sample framework, also considering the capacity of local CDC. Relative information on 1 318 739 cases were analyzed. The number of male cases were more than the females. The top three causes of injuries were as follows: falls (28.02%, 29.36%, 30.12%), traffic-related (23.07%, 21.61%, 21.44%) and blunt injuries (21.46%, 21.17%, 20.59%). The major places where injuries occurred were: road/street (29.80%, 27.73%, 28.37%) and at home (21.51%, 22.80%, 24.02%). Recreation activities (35.63%, 41.93%, 42.13%) and at work (24.43%, 22.60%, 21.44%) were the two major activities when injuries took place. Most injury cases were unintentional (83.81%, 86.32%, 86.71%) and mild (70.42%, 74.79%, 73.90%). Rush hours that caused injuries to happen were between 7 to 10 AM. Male injury cases were more than females. Falls, road traffic-related and blunt injuries were the major causes, with most of them were unintentional and minor.

Changes in the characteristics of definite Meniere's disease over time in Japan: a long-term survey by the Peripheral Vestibular Disorder Research Committee of Japan, formerly the Meniere's Disease Research Committee of Japan

Conclusion. The incidence of new cases of Meniere's disease (MD) in elderly patients aged 60 years or more was found to have increased over time after correction for age distribution in the overall population. Job- and care-related fatigue may be involved in the recent increase in elderly-onset cases because physical and mental fatigue can induce onset of the disease. Objectives. Changes over time in the epidemiologic characteristics of MD in Japan were analyzed. Materials and methods. Between 1975 and 2006, four nationwide, multi-center surveys of MD were conducted by the Meniere's Disease Research Committee of Japan (1975–1976) and the Peripheral Vestibular Disorders Research Committee of Japan (1982–1984, 1990, and 2001–2006). Information was collected by the committee members on a total of 1368 de novo cases of definite MD, 520 reported in the first survey, 290 in the second survey, 148 in the third survey, and 410 in the fourth survey. Results. Clear changes were seen over time in the population-adjusted sex distribution of the disease and population-adjusted age at onset. The number of definite MD cases in females increased over time relative to the number of cases in males. The proportion of cases in which onset occurred at 60 years of age or more increased over time when the number of cases in each age group was adjusted for changes in age distribution of the population over time. From the time of the third survey, there was a slight increase in the proportion of cases with bilateral involvement.

Comparison of Past and Recent Historical Control Data in Relation to Spontaneous Tumors During Carcinogenicity Testing in Fischer 344 Rats

In the present survey, the historical data for spontaneous tumors observed in our laboratory was compared in relation to the time-related changes between recent (2000-2004) and past (1990-1999) samples from Fischer 344 rats used in carcinogenicity studies. In the recent samples, there were statistically increased incidences of islet cell adenomas in males and uterine adenocarcinomas in females. On the other hand, there were decreased incidences of pheochromocytomas, prostatic adenomas, pituitary anterior adenomas, large granular lymphocytic (LGL) leukemias and Leydig cell tumors in males and pituitary anterior adenomas in females. Furthermore, there were decreases in the body weights of both sexes at 58 weeks of age in the recent samples, and this may have been related to the decreases in the incidences of pheochromocytomas, Leydig cell tumors, prostatic adenomas and LGL leukemias. Moreover, the decreased incidence of pheochromocytoma in males revealed a positive correlation with a decreased percentage of severe chronic progressive nephropathy (CPN). On the other hand, there were no distinct factors responsible for increased incidences of tumors observed in the recent samples, suggesting a possible genetic drift. In conclusion, the incidences of spontaneous tumors obtained in our laboratory have been changed with time. Smaller body weights in both sexes and reduction in the number of male cases with severe CPN might be related to the reduced incidence of certain types of tumors in recent animals.

Epidemiological characteristics of dengue in the Municipality of São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil, 1997-2002

A total of 12,008 cases of dengue were reported from 1997 to 2002, with peaks in 1997 (35.8%) and 1998 (45.8%). The disease predominated in the 15-49-year age group (72.2%) and during the rainy season (83.3%), showing a positive correlation with the amount of rainfall (r = 0.84) and relative humidity (r = 0.76) and a negative correlation with temperature (r = -0.78). There was no significant difference (chi2 = 2.319; p > 0.05) in the number of cases in males (49%) and females (51%). Dengue was detected in all seven health districts: Tirirical (27%), Coroadinho (17%), Bequimao (16%), Cohab (14%), Itaqui-Bacanga (11%), Centro (8%), and Vila Esperanca (7%). The building infestation rate ranged from 1.01 to 7.15, and the Breteau index ranged from 1.10 to 8.18. The most frequent mosquito breeding sites were metal barrels or similar recipients (80.0%), followed by plant vases (4.7%), bottles, cans, and plastics (3.6%), tires (3.3%), water tanks (2.7%), and others (5.7%). In the case of Aedes aegypti, 134,631 positive water deposits were detected, with a predominance of type B (80.0%), followed by types C (4.7%), E (3.6%), and A (3.3%).

The Incidence of Childhood Cancer in Jordan: A Population-Based Study

Marked variations in the incidence of particular types of childhood cancer exist between countries. We report on the geographic variation in the occurrence of childhood cancer in Jordan. Cases were identified from the Jordan National Cancer Registry. We collected data on age, sex, type, primary site, and stage of cancer. Tumor topography and morphology were coded according to the accepted international standard. For all cases registered, 95.2% were histologically diagnosed. Incidence rates were calculated as annual rates per million population. The denominator is the 1997 estimate of the childhood population at ages 0-4, 5-9, and 10-14 years. There were 646 registered primary malignant neoplasms during the three-year study period (1996-1998). The annual incidence rate for all types of cancer combined was 113 per million children. The rate among children less than 5 years of age was 134.5 per million, for 5-9 years it was 97.8 per million, and for 10-14 years it was 104.1 per million. Overall, the age-standardized annual incidence rate was 113.8 per million. The most common diagnostic group was leukemia, accounting for more than a third of all cases, followed by brain tumors and lymphoma. The highest rate was in the capital, Amman. The pattern of childhood cancer in Jordan seems to be generally similar to other countries in the region, particularly the observed excess of lymphoma. Geographical variations in childhood cancer exist in Jordan and could be partly explained on the basis of lower detection or reporting, or both, in certain locations.