We have long wondered whether ionizing radiation to parents, before conception, can cause gene mu... more We have long wondered whether ionizing radiation to parents, before conception, can cause gene mutations leading to adverse effects in the next generations<sup>1</sup>. Animal experiments suggest that de novo gene mutations (DNM) occur with a doubling dose of about one Gy.<sup>1</sup> To address this question in humans, Yeager and colleagues<sup>2</sup> used whole genome sequencing (WGS) to study DNM in children of parents exposed to Chernobyl radiation before conception. The DNMs detected were predominantly single nucleotide variants (SNV), which did not increase in frequency with estimated parental radiation doses. These negative results were consistent with earlier studies in humans<sup>3,4</sup> and mice<sup>5</sup>. However, the exoneration of SNV as mediators of transgenerational radiation effects does not show that such effects do not exist. Indeed, it is much more plausible that radiation would mediate its mutationa...
Committee (TSEAC). That Committee provided helpful comments on a draft version of this report. Th... more Committee (TSEAC). That Committee provided helpful comments on a draft version of this report. The University of Melbourne provided access to facilities and approved the secondment of Ms Joanne Chesson to assist the consultant in the acquisition and collation of references, and in the formatting of the report. The consultant is entirely responsible for the selection of the information for this report, and for the interpretations offered. In doing so, he has drawn upon more than 40 years of experience as an epidemiological researcher; he published on kuru in 1965-76 and again in 2008. As Deputy Chief Medical Officer he advised government on TSE policy from 1999-2004, and he represented the Chief Medical Officer on TSEAC from 2004-2006.
Aboriginal infants in the Northern Territory of Australia experience recurrent otitis media from ... more Aboriginal infants in the Northern Territory of Australia experience recurrent otitis media from an early age. Nonencapsulated Haemophilus influenzae (NCHi) colonization of the nasopharynx initially occurs within weeks of birth, persists throughout infancy and most of childhood, and contributes to otitis media. We established previously that the high carriage rates of NCHi in these infants result from concurrent and successive colonization with multiple strains, with sequential elimination of dominant strains. We have now sequenced loops 4, 5, and 6 of the NCHi P2 porin gene and characterized several strains with prolonged carriage times. Furthermore, despite a wide diversity of P2 gene sequences, we have four examples of P2 gene identity for strains with different genetic backgrounds as characterized by PCR ribotyping and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA typing, which leads us to suggest that the P2 gene has been transferred between strains. We also discuss the possibility that t...
To demonstrate an association between markers of streptococcal infection and markers of glomerulo... more To demonstrate an association between markers of streptococcal infection and markers of glomerulonephritis in Aboriginal children. A cross-sectional study of Aboriginal children of school age. Three Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory--two, coastal and one, desert. Sixty children, randomly selected from the school roll, were studied in each community; thus there were 180 children in total, aged 5-17 years. Midstream urine and venous blood was collected and swabs were taken from the pharynx and from impetiginous skin lesions or axillary skin in the absence of impetigo. Clinical records were examined for evidence of past glomerulonephritis. Swabs were cultured for beta-haemolytic streptococci and isolates were grouped; serum was tested for titres of antistreptolysin O (ASO) and antideoxyribonuclease B (anti-DNaseB). Protein and creatinine levels were measured in urine, and a ratio of protein to creatinine (UPC) of more than 50 mg protein per mmol creatinine was taken as a measure of significant proteinuria. Urine was examined microscopically for glomerular haematuria (greater than 10 red blood cells per microL with at least 20% dysmorphic red cells). Group A beta-haemolytic streptococci were isolated from the throat swabs of two children and from skin swabs of 25 (13.9%) children; 20 of these were from impetiginous lesions and five from normal axillary skin. beta-Haemolytic streptococci of group C or G were grown from the throat swabs of 13 (8.1%) children. The median titre of ASO (256 IU) was raised compared with a reference level, and the median titre of anti-DNaseB (3172 IU) was particularly high; ASO titres were significantly higher in 31 children with impetigo than in 149 children without impetigo. Significant proteinuria was present in 7 (3.9%) children and glomerular haematuria in 16 (8.9%). Glomerular haematuria was present in 2/7 (28%) children with proteinuria, 4/21 (19%) children with a past history of post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis, in 5/31 (16%) of those with impetigo and in 4/25 (16%) of those with positive skin cultures. However, none of these prevalences was significantly greater than the prevalence of glomerular haematuria among the other children. The prevalence of proteinuria differed significantly between communities and increased significantly with age. Furthermore, the differences in childhood proteinuria observed between communities in this study were parallel with community differences in the prevalence of proteinuria in a related study of adults. Group A streptococci are important causes of impetigo in Aboriginal children. Streptococcal skin infection may contribute to glomerular haematuria, proteinuria and persistent glomerulonephritis in Aboriginal children, and possibly to chronic glomerulonephritis in adult life. Public health programs are needed to reduce the prevalence of impetigo and group A streptococcal infections in Aboriginal communities; longitudinal studies are needed to test the relationship between streptococcal skin infection in Aboriginal children and chronic renal disease in later life.
“grieving” and miss out on appropriate and effective treatment for a depressive disorder. Other f... more “grieving” and miss out on appropriate and effective treatment for a depressive disorder. Other family members may also need psychological support. The woman’s partner may experience similar feelings of loss.16 In such situations, the father is often neglected (“men aren’t expected to talk about their feelings”). He will also benefit from an opportunity to talk about his feelings of loss, as will other children in the family, especially as they may feel responsible if they had feelings of jealousy about the new sibling. The sense of loss may dissipate when the woman becomes pregnant again, and some studies suggest that the shorter the time between a pregnancy loss and a subsequent pregnancy the better the outcome for the woman.13 Such women usually feel anxious during the stage of pregnancy at which the previous loss occurred. Finally, women may benefit from the opportunity to talk to other women who have experienced a pregnancy loss through support groups such as SANDS <http://www.sands.org.au/>.
To identify social and environmental differences associated with differences in admission rates o... more To identify social and environmental differences associated with differences in admission rates of children from 10 rural Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory. Between March 1986 and December 1987, records of hospital admissions of the cohort of children for 1976-1985 were examined retrospectively; cross-sectional measurements of 74 historical, social and environmental characteristics of each community were collected. All 1961 children born between 1 January 1976 and 31 December 1985 and still living in the 10 communities. Scores on social and environmental factors for each community were generated by factor analysis. Generalised linear interactive modelling was used to investigate the association between these scores and admission rates. Mean admissions per child-year at risk were higher in Central Australian communities (range, 0.41-0.93) than Top End communities (0.26-0.38). Factor I accounted for 30% of the social and environmental differences between communities: communities with a high score on this factor had more houses, fewer shared toilets, more electrical appliances, better personal hygiene and a history of mission administration. High scores on this factor were predictive of lower admission rates and the factor explained most of the differences in admission rates between the Top End and Central Australian communities. Factor VI, correlated with dilapidated dwellings and fewer Aboriginal Health Workers, explained some differences in admission rates between six Top End communities. Social and environmental factors correlated with the degree of community development are associated with the health of Aboriginal children. Improved development programs should be community-controlled and evaluated to identify the social, educational, behavioural and environmental changes that are most effective in improving health.
Aboriginal Australians are at high risk of cardiovascular, metabolic and renal diseases, resultin... more Aboriginal Australians are at high risk of cardiovascular, metabolic and renal diseases, resulting in a marked reduction in life expectancy when compared to the rest of the Australian population. This is partly due to recognized environmental and lifestyle risk factors, but a contribution of genetic susceptibility is also likely. Using results from a comprehensive survey of one community (N = 1350 examined individuals), we have tested for familial aggregation of plasma glucose, arterial blood pressure, albuminuria (measured as urinary albumin to creatinine ratio, UACR) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and quantified the contribution of variation at four candidate genes (ACE; TP53; ENOS3; MTHFR). In the subsample of 357 individuals with complete genotype and phenotype data we showed that both UACR (h(2) = 64%) and blood pressure (sBP h(2) = 29%, dBP, h(2) = 11%) were significantly heritable. The ACE insertion-deletion (P = 0.0009) and TP53 codon72 polymorphisms (P = 0...
Kava is a social drink of the South Pacific Islands and people like drinking it because it has a ... more Kava is a social drink of the South Pacific Islands and people like drinking it because it has a relaxing effect and makes them feel happy with life. Kava has been used in some Arnhem Land Aboriginal communities since the early 1980s. After a study by the Menzies School of Health Research it was discovered that heavy kava use was causing poor health, scaly skin rash, and, along with poor diet, also weight loss and liver damage.
The sociological and biological factors which gave rise to the three pandemic waves of Spanish in... more The sociological and biological factors which gave rise to the three pandemic waves of Spanish influenza in England during 1918-19 are still poorly understood. Symptom reporting data available for a limited set of locations in England indicates that reinfection in multiple waves occurred, suggesting a role for loss of infection-acquired immunity. Here we explore the role that changes in host immunity, driven by a combination of within-host factors and viral evolution, may play in explaining weekly mortality data and wave-by-wave symptomatic attack-rates available for a subset of English cities. Our results indicate that changes in the phenotype of the pandemic virus are likely required to explain the closely spaced waves of infection, but distinguishing between the detailed contributions of viral evolution and changing adaptive immune responses to transmission rates is difficult given the dearth of sero-epidemiological and virological data available even for more contemporary pandem...
Glucose intolerance was found in 22% of the residents of Koki in Port Moresby, 5% of residents in... more Glucose intolerance was found in 22% of the residents of Koki in Port Moresby, 5% of residents in the coastal village of Kalo and in 3% of 120 young civil servants. The respective prevalences of frank diabetes mellitus were 15.6%, 1% and 0%. Cholesterol and triglyceride levels were similar and low in all groups, despite both obesity and glucose intolerance in the urban-Koki residents who also had a significantly higher blood pressure. There is a need to identify those areas of Papua New Guinea where, in a similar fashion to other countries in the South Pacific, diabetes mellitus is increasing. Simple measures of dietary restriction and increased exercise may be effective in preventing diabetes from becoming a major health problem particularly in identified high prevalence areas.
International Journal of Bio-Medical Computing, 1972
Abstract An information system which provides for the computer storage and retrieval of hospital ... more Abstract An information system which provides for the computer storage and retrieval of hospital medical records, either in part or in toto , has been developed. This system comprises methods for the automated acquisition and encoding of clinical data, for the storage of this data in list-structured data sets and for the accessing and display of information in easily read narrative. This model system could be the basis of a hospital medical information system to replace the current medical record and provide a data base for patient care and medical research.
To assess the cancer risk in children and adolescents following exposure to low dose ionising rad... more To assess the cancer risk in children and adolescents following exposure to low dose ionising radiation from diagnostic computed tomography (CT) scans. Population based, cohort, data linkage study in Australia. COHORT MEMBERS: 10.9 million people identified from Australian Medicare records, aged 0-19 years on 1 January 1985 or born between 1 January 1985 and 31 December 2005; all exposures to CT scans funded by Medicare during 1985-2005 were identified for this cohort. Cancers diagnosed in cohort members up to 31 December 2007 were obtained through linkage to national cancer records. Cancer incidence rates in individuals exposed to a CT scan more than one year before any cancer diagnosis, compared with cancer incidence rates in unexposed individuals. 60,674 cancers were recorded, including 3150 in 680,211 people exposed to a CT scan at least one year before any cancer diagnosis. The mean duration of follow-up after exposure was 9.5 years. Overall cancer incidence was 24% greater for...
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 2008
The epidemic of kuru is now known to have been transmitted among the Fore by ritual consumption o... more The epidemic of kuru is now known to have been transmitted among the Fore by ritual consumption of infected organs from deceased relatives. As cannibalism was suppressed by government patrol officers during the 1950s, most transmission had ceased by 1957, when the kuru research programme first commenced. As predicted in the 1960s, the epidemic has waned, with progressive ageing of kuru-affected cohorts over the years to 2007. The few cases seen in the twenty-first century, with the longest incubation periods, were almost certainly exposed as children prior to 1960. Although the research programme had almost no role in bringing the kuru epidemic to an end, it did provide important knowledge that was to help the wider world in controlling the later epidemics of iatrogenic and variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease and bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
SUMMARYRibotyping with the restriction enzymeXbaI was used to study the dynamics of carriage of n... more SUMMARYRibotyping with the restriction enzymeXbaI was used to study the dynamics of carriage of non-encapsulatedHaemophilus influenzae(NCHi) in Aboriginal infants at risk of otitis media. Carriage rates of NCHi in the infants in the community were very high; the median age for detection was 50 days and colonization was virtually 100% by 120 days of age and persisted at a high level throughout the first year of life [1]. Eighteen different ribotypes of NCHi were identified from 34 positive swabs taken from 3 infants over a period of 9 months. The same ribotypes were recovered for up to 3 months from consecutive swabs of individual infants, and 12 of 27 swabs (44·4%) yielded two ribotypes from four colonies typed. Statistical analysis suggested that most swabs would have been positive for two ribotypes if enough colonies had been typed although the second most frequent ribotype was detected on average in only 13% of strains. Early colonization and carriage of multiple ribotypes of NCH...
We have long wondered whether ionizing radiation to parents, before conception, can cause gene mu... more We have long wondered whether ionizing radiation to parents, before conception, can cause gene mutations leading to adverse effects in the next generations<sup>1</sup>. Animal experiments suggest that de novo gene mutations (DNM) occur with a doubling dose of about one Gy.<sup>1</sup> To address this question in humans, Yeager and colleagues<sup>2</sup> used whole genome sequencing (WGS) to study DNM in children of parents exposed to Chernobyl radiation before conception. The DNMs detected were predominantly single nucleotide variants (SNV), which did not increase in frequency with estimated parental radiation doses. These negative results were consistent with earlier studies in humans<sup>3,4</sup> and mice<sup>5</sup>. However, the exoneration of SNV as mediators of transgenerational radiation effects does not show that such effects do not exist. Indeed, it is much more plausible that radiation would mediate its mutationa...
Committee (TSEAC). That Committee provided helpful comments on a draft version of this report. Th... more Committee (TSEAC). That Committee provided helpful comments on a draft version of this report. The University of Melbourne provided access to facilities and approved the secondment of Ms Joanne Chesson to assist the consultant in the acquisition and collation of references, and in the formatting of the report. The consultant is entirely responsible for the selection of the information for this report, and for the interpretations offered. In doing so, he has drawn upon more than 40 years of experience as an epidemiological researcher; he published on kuru in 1965-76 and again in 2008. As Deputy Chief Medical Officer he advised government on TSE policy from 1999-2004, and he represented the Chief Medical Officer on TSEAC from 2004-2006.
Aboriginal infants in the Northern Territory of Australia experience recurrent otitis media from ... more Aboriginal infants in the Northern Territory of Australia experience recurrent otitis media from an early age. Nonencapsulated Haemophilus influenzae (NCHi) colonization of the nasopharynx initially occurs within weeks of birth, persists throughout infancy and most of childhood, and contributes to otitis media. We established previously that the high carriage rates of NCHi in these infants result from concurrent and successive colonization with multiple strains, with sequential elimination of dominant strains. We have now sequenced loops 4, 5, and 6 of the NCHi P2 porin gene and characterized several strains with prolonged carriage times. Furthermore, despite a wide diversity of P2 gene sequences, we have four examples of P2 gene identity for strains with different genetic backgrounds as characterized by PCR ribotyping and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA typing, which leads us to suggest that the P2 gene has been transferred between strains. We also discuss the possibility that t...
To demonstrate an association between markers of streptococcal infection and markers of glomerulo... more To demonstrate an association between markers of streptococcal infection and markers of glomerulonephritis in Aboriginal children. A cross-sectional study of Aboriginal children of school age. Three Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory--two, coastal and one, desert. Sixty children, randomly selected from the school roll, were studied in each community; thus there were 180 children in total, aged 5-17 years. Midstream urine and venous blood was collected and swabs were taken from the pharynx and from impetiginous skin lesions or axillary skin in the absence of impetigo. Clinical records were examined for evidence of past glomerulonephritis. Swabs were cultured for beta-haemolytic streptococci and isolates were grouped; serum was tested for titres of antistreptolysin O (ASO) and antideoxyribonuclease B (anti-DNaseB). Protein and creatinine levels were measured in urine, and a ratio of protein to creatinine (UPC) of more than 50 mg protein per mmol creatinine was taken as a measure of significant proteinuria. Urine was examined microscopically for glomerular haematuria (greater than 10 red blood cells per microL with at least 20% dysmorphic red cells). Group A beta-haemolytic streptococci were isolated from the throat swabs of two children and from skin swabs of 25 (13.9%) children; 20 of these were from impetiginous lesions and five from normal axillary skin. beta-Haemolytic streptococci of group C or G were grown from the throat swabs of 13 (8.1%) children. The median titre of ASO (256 IU) was raised compared with a reference level, and the median titre of anti-DNaseB (3172 IU) was particularly high; ASO titres were significantly higher in 31 children with impetigo than in 149 children without impetigo. Significant proteinuria was present in 7 (3.9%) children and glomerular haematuria in 16 (8.9%). Glomerular haematuria was present in 2/7 (28%) children with proteinuria, 4/21 (19%) children with a past history of post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis, in 5/31 (16%) of those with impetigo and in 4/25 (16%) of those with positive skin cultures. However, none of these prevalences was significantly greater than the prevalence of glomerular haematuria among the other children. The prevalence of proteinuria differed significantly between communities and increased significantly with age. Furthermore, the differences in childhood proteinuria observed between communities in this study were parallel with community differences in the prevalence of proteinuria in a related study of adults. Group A streptococci are important causes of impetigo in Aboriginal children. Streptococcal skin infection may contribute to glomerular haematuria, proteinuria and persistent glomerulonephritis in Aboriginal children, and possibly to chronic glomerulonephritis in adult life. Public health programs are needed to reduce the prevalence of impetigo and group A streptococcal infections in Aboriginal communities; longitudinal studies are needed to test the relationship between streptococcal skin infection in Aboriginal children and chronic renal disease in later life.
“grieving” and miss out on appropriate and effective treatment for a depressive disorder. Other f... more “grieving” and miss out on appropriate and effective treatment for a depressive disorder. Other family members may also need psychological support. The woman’s partner may experience similar feelings of loss.16 In such situations, the father is often neglected (“men aren’t expected to talk about their feelings”). He will also benefit from an opportunity to talk about his feelings of loss, as will other children in the family, especially as they may feel responsible if they had feelings of jealousy about the new sibling. The sense of loss may dissipate when the woman becomes pregnant again, and some studies suggest that the shorter the time between a pregnancy loss and a subsequent pregnancy the better the outcome for the woman.13 Such women usually feel anxious during the stage of pregnancy at which the previous loss occurred. Finally, women may benefit from the opportunity to talk to other women who have experienced a pregnancy loss through support groups such as SANDS <http://www.sands.org.au/>.
To identify social and environmental differences associated with differences in admission rates o... more To identify social and environmental differences associated with differences in admission rates of children from 10 rural Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory. Between March 1986 and December 1987, records of hospital admissions of the cohort of children for 1976-1985 were examined retrospectively; cross-sectional measurements of 74 historical, social and environmental characteristics of each community were collected. All 1961 children born between 1 January 1976 and 31 December 1985 and still living in the 10 communities. Scores on social and environmental factors for each community were generated by factor analysis. Generalised linear interactive modelling was used to investigate the association between these scores and admission rates. Mean admissions per child-year at risk were higher in Central Australian communities (range, 0.41-0.93) than Top End communities (0.26-0.38). Factor I accounted for 30% of the social and environmental differences between communities: communities with a high score on this factor had more houses, fewer shared toilets, more electrical appliances, better personal hygiene and a history of mission administration. High scores on this factor were predictive of lower admission rates and the factor explained most of the differences in admission rates between the Top End and Central Australian communities. Factor VI, correlated with dilapidated dwellings and fewer Aboriginal Health Workers, explained some differences in admission rates between six Top End communities. Social and environmental factors correlated with the degree of community development are associated with the health of Aboriginal children. Improved development programs should be community-controlled and evaluated to identify the social, educational, behavioural and environmental changes that are most effective in improving health.
Aboriginal Australians are at high risk of cardiovascular, metabolic and renal diseases, resultin... more Aboriginal Australians are at high risk of cardiovascular, metabolic and renal diseases, resulting in a marked reduction in life expectancy when compared to the rest of the Australian population. This is partly due to recognized environmental and lifestyle risk factors, but a contribution of genetic susceptibility is also likely. Using results from a comprehensive survey of one community (N = 1350 examined individuals), we have tested for familial aggregation of plasma glucose, arterial blood pressure, albuminuria (measured as urinary albumin to creatinine ratio, UACR) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and quantified the contribution of variation at four candidate genes (ACE; TP53; ENOS3; MTHFR). In the subsample of 357 individuals with complete genotype and phenotype data we showed that both UACR (h(2) = 64%) and blood pressure (sBP h(2) = 29%, dBP, h(2) = 11%) were significantly heritable. The ACE insertion-deletion (P = 0.0009) and TP53 codon72 polymorphisms (P = 0...
Kava is a social drink of the South Pacific Islands and people like drinking it because it has a ... more Kava is a social drink of the South Pacific Islands and people like drinking it because it has a relaxing effect and makes them feel happy with life. Kava has been used in some Arnhem Land Aboriginal communities since the early 1980s. After a study by the Menzies School of Health Research it was discovered that heavy kava use was causing poor health, scaly skin rash, and, along with poor diet, also weight loss and liver damage.
The sociological and biological factors which gave rise to the three pandemic waves of Spanish in... more The sociological and biological factors which gave rise to the three pandemic waves of Spanish influenza in England during 1918-19 are still poorly understood. Symptom reporting data available for a limited set of locations in England indicates that reinfection in multiple waves occurred, suggesting a role for loss of infection-acquired immunity. Here we explore the role that changes in host immunity, driven by a combination of within-host factors and viral evolution, may play in explaining weekly mortality data and wave-by-wave symptomatic attack-rates available for a subset of English cities. Our results indicate that changes in the phenotype of the pandemic virus are likely required to explain the closely spaced waves of infection, but distinguishing between the detailed contributions of viral evolution and changing adaptive immune responses to transmission rates is difficult given the dearth of sero-epidemiological and virological data available even for more contemporary pandem...
Glucose intolerance was found in 22% of the residents of Koki in Port Moresby, 5% of residents in... more Glucose intolerance was found in 22% of the residents of Koki in Port Moresby, 5% of residents in the coastal village of Kalo and in 3% of 120 young civil servants. The respective prevalences of frank diabetes mellitus were 15.6%, 1% and 0%. Cholesterol and triglyceride levels were similar and low in all groups, despite both obesity and glucose intolerance in the urban-Koki residents who also had a significantly higher blood pressure. There is a need to identify those areas of Papua New Guinea where, in a similar fashion to other countries in the South Pacific, diabetes mellitus is increasing. Simple measures of dietary restriction and increased exercise may be effective in preventing diabetes from becoming a major health problem particularly in identified high prevalence areas.
International Journal of Bio-Medical Computing, 1972
Abstract An information system which provides for the computer storage and retrieval of hospital ... more Abstract An information system which provides for the computer storage and retrieval of hospital medical records, either in part or in toto , has been developed. This system comprises methods for the automated acquisition and encoding of clinical data, for the storage of this data in list-structured data sets and for the accessing and display of information in easily read narrative. This model system could be the basis of a hospital medical information system to replace the current medical record and provide a data base for patient care and medical research.
To assess the cancer risk in children and adolescents following exposure to low dose ionising rad... more To assess the cancer risk in children and adolescents following exposure to low dose ionising radiation from diagnostic computed tomography (CT) scans. Population based, cohort, data linkage study in Australia. COHORT MEMBERS: 10.9 million people identified from Australian Medicare records, aged 0-19 years on 1 January 1985 or born between 1 January 1985 and 31 December 2005; all exposures to CT scans funded by Medicare during 1985-2005 were identified for this cohort. Cancers diagnosed in cohort members up to 31 December 2007 were obtained through linkage to national cancer records. Cancer incidence rates in individuals exposed to a CT scan more than one year before any cancer diagnosis, compared with cancer incidence rates in unexposed individuals. 60,674 cancers were recorded, including 3150 in 680,211 people exposed to a CT scan at least one year before any cancer diagnosis. The mean duration of follow-up after exposure was 9.5 years. Overall cancer incidence was 24% greater for...
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 2008
The epidemic of kuru is now known to have been transmitted among the Fore by ritual consumption o... more The epidemic of kuru is now known to have been transmitted among the Fore by ritual consumption of infected organs from deceased relatives. As cannibalism was suppressed by government patrol officers during the 1950s, most transmission had ceased by 1957, when the kuru research programme first commenced. As predicted in the 1960s, the epidemic has waned, with progressive ageing of kuru-affected cohorts over the years to 2007. The few cases seen in the twenty-first century, with the longest incubation periods, were almost certainly exposed as children prior to 1960. Although the research programme had almost no role in bringing the kuru epidemic to an end, it did provide important knowledge that was to help the wider world in controlling the later epidemics of iatrogenic and variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease and bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
SUMMARYRibotyping with the restriction enzymeXbaI was used to study the dynamics of carriage of n... more SUMMARYRibotyping with the restriction enzymeXbaI was used to study the dynamics of carriage of non-encapsulatedHaemophilus influenzae(NCHi) in Aboriginal infants at risk of otitis media. Carriage rates of NCHi in the infants in the community were very high; the median age for detection was 50 days and colonization was virtually 100% by 120 days of age and persisted at a high level throughout the first year of life [1]. Eighteen different ribotypes of NCHi were identified from 34 positive swabs taken from 3 infants over a period of 9 months. The same ribotypes were recovered for up to 3 months from consecutive swabs of individual infants, and 12 of 27 swabs (44·4%) yielded two ribotypes from four colonies typed. Statistical analysis suggested that most swabs would have been positive for two ribotypes if enough colonies had been typed although the second most frequent ribotype was detected on average in only 13% of strains. Early colonization and carriage of multiple ribotypes of NCH...
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Papers by John D Mathews