The Changing Age Distribution of Paralytic Poliomyelitis

Dauer, C. C.

doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.1955.tb42553.x

Cited by 20 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…During these years, the age distribution gradually increased, as illustrated in Figure 2 (35). Again, this suggests that gradual improvements in sanitation and hygiene reduced the circulation of enteric infections.…”

Section: Poliomyelitis Ascendant: Annual Epidemics In the United Statmentioning

confidence: 94%

From Emergence to Eradication: The Epidemiology of Poliomyelitis Deconstructed

Nathanson¹,

Kew²

2010

American Journal of Epidemiology

341

278

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Poliomyelitis has appeared in epidemic form, become endemic on a global scale, and been reduced to near-elimination, all within the span of documented medical history. Epidemics of the disease appeared in the late 19th century in many European countries and North America, following which polio became a global disease with annual epidemics. During the period of its epidemicity, 1900–1950, the age distribution of poliomyelitis cases increased gradually. Beginning in 1955, the creation of poliovirus vaccines led to a stepwise reduction in poliomyelitis, culminating in the unpredicted elimination of wild polioviruses in the United States by 1972. Global expansion of polio immunization resulted in a reduction of paralytic disease from an estimated annual prevaccine level of at least 600,000 cases to fewer than 1,000 cases in 2000. Indigenous wild type 2 poliovirus was eradicated in 1999, but unbroken localized circulation of poliovirus types 1 and 3 continues in 4 countries in Asia and Africa. Current challenges to the final eradication of paralytic poliomyelitis include the continued transmission of wild polioviruses in endemic reservoirs, reinfection of polio-free areas, outbreaks due to circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses, and persistent excretion of vaccine-derived poliovirus by a few vaccinees with B-cell immunodeficiencies. Beyond the current efforts to eradicate the last remaining wild polioviruses, global eradication efforts must safely navigate through an unprecedented series of endgame challenges to assure the permanent cessation of all human poliovirus infections.

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Section: Poliomyelitis Ascendant: Annual Epidemics In the United Statmentioning

confidence: 94%

From Emergence to Eradication: The Epidemiology of Poliomyelitis Deconstructed

Nathanson¹,

Kew²

2010

American Journal of Epidemiology

341

278

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“…Life Ins. Co., 1953;Dauer, 1955;Freyche and Nielson, 1955). This change in the age-incidence pattern reflected shifting patterns of acquired immunity in different age groups due to changing environmental conditions such as sanitation, degree of crowding and family size (Bodian and Hostmann, 1965).…”

Section: Infectious Disease Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Incidence rates also varied with economic development within the same country. In the United States, the South had the highest rates for children under the age of 5 (Dauer, 1955) but the lowest rates for persons aged 5 or more (Collins, 1946;Gilliam et a/., 1949;Serfling and Sherman, 1953). During the first half of the 20th century in Europe and America, there was a gradual decrease in rates under age 5 and increasing incidence among older children and adults (Fales and Taback, 1952;Serfling and Sherman, 1953;Statistical Bulletin, Metropol.…”

Section: Infectious Disease Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epidemiology of Hodgkin's disease in the young

Gutensohn

Cole

1977

Intl Journal of Cancer

186

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Many features of Hodgkin's disease (HD) among adolescents and young adults suggest that it has an infectious etiology. However, the proposal that HD is a contagious disease which can be transmitted by patients or their close contacts has not been substantiated. An alternative infectious disease model is suggested by analogy with paralytic poliomyelitis (PP). For both diseases, the peak age of incidence is delayed as living conditions improve. For both, increased risk is associated with higher social class and small family size. Like PP, HD may be a rare manifestation of a common infection with the probability of disease development increasing as age at infection is delayed. This analogy is supported by the report that the risk of HD is higher for persons who had a low frequency of childhood infectious diseases. If this model is valid, HD patients represent no hazard to their contacts. However, the incidence of HD among young adults may increase in the coming decade because of the current high standard of living and small family size.

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“…The results of the tests on these sera are presented in Table 2 infants, one-fourth of those who were fol¬ lowed up after their discharge from the nursery; the youngest infant in whom new antibody was found was one month old ( Table 1). None of the 13 The inability to detect viruses in rectal swabs from infants studied in the nursery may be contrasted with the recovery of "intestinal" viruses from some of the same infants when they were older and attending the Well-Baby Clinic. Rise of antibody to significant levels first became apparent in the sera of the older infants and was not ob¬ served while the infants resided in the nursery.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 98%