An unexplained illness in West Otago

Abstract

“An apparent epidemic of undiagnosed illness in a rural general practice was investigated. The aims were to describe the illness, the characteristics of the people affected, and to look for possible causes. The patients were questioned about their symptoms, and both patients and controls matched for age and sex, were questioned about possible aetiological factors. Twenty-eight cases were identified; all but three were less than 45 years of age; there were equal numbers of females and males. The most commonly experienced symptoms were tiredness, mood and sleep disturbances, headache, and joint or muscle pains. Results of the case-control study suggested that pollution of the water supply, zoonotic infections, contact with agricultural chemicals, and self-dosing with selenium were unlikely to be causes of this illness. An unidentified virus was regarded as the most likely cause.”

Conclusion

“In conclusion, we regard the illness occurring in the Tapanui area is a definite entity which has been disabling for those affected. The epidemiological features suggest that it is not psychogenic in origin, nor is it specifically associated with rural living. The symptoms are consistent with a viral aetiology. Further advances in our understanding should come from investigations at the acute stage of the disease and from information about outbreaks in other parts of the country.”

Note

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Reference

Poore, M., Snow, P., & Paul, C. (1984). An unexplained illness in West Otago. New Zealand Medical Journal, 97(757), 351–354. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6589518

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