Prevalence and factors associated to the epidemic neuropathy in a population assisted by a family doctor in Cuba

• Main Author: Pérez Rodríguez,Antonio E
• Publication Date: 1996
• Other Authors: Pereira,Carlota, Hernández,Flora Olga, Más Lago,Pedro, Balmaseda,Angel, Menéndez,Reinaldo
• Format: Article
• Language: eng
• Source: Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz
• Download full: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0074-02761996000500002
• topic: epidemic neuropathy; prevalence; Coxsackie virus; risk factors; epidemiological study; Cuba

With the outbreak of an epidemic neuropathy (EN) of unknown ethiology, a study of the prevalence and factors associated to the disease was carried out in the Zamora community, municipality of Marianao, Havana City. There were 11 patients identified with EN for a prevalence rate of 1.7/100. The major risk group was the one between 45 and 64 years of age, female sex, black skin. In the univaried analysis, a high prevalence ratio (PR) was found linked to beverage intake (PR=5.32 95%; confidence intervals (CI) = 1.2-24.4), frequent drugs intake (PR=6.59; CI=1.8-24.6), consumption of edible of non certified fats (PR=4.48; CI=1.2-16.7) and the smoking habit (PR=3.6; CI=1.1-12.2). More than73/100 (CI= 68.7-78.3) of the people under serologic study were infected with Coxsakie virus A-9 (strain 47) isolated from a patient still under research. It seems there are many factors like linder intake, antecedents of hemorrhagic conjuntivitis, nutritional aspects and others that, with the virus isolated were associated with this epidemiologic situation.