Influenza : $b An epidemiologic studyVaughan, Warren T. (Warren Taylor)
History
Influenza : $b An epidemiologic study
Vaughan, Warren T. (Warren Taylor)
Influenza
The increase of disease incidence with age is apparent. Finkler’s
explanation for the higher incidence among the children of the suburbs,
“that the children in the country had usually to walk a greater distance
to school” does not appear to be complete.
Comby found that out of 3,411 school children in Lausanne 1,840
contracted influenza. This shows a relatively high incidence in children
of school age in that city.
Concerning age distribution in 1889–90 Leichtenstern remarks that the
greatest morbidity incidence was in school children, adolescents and
young adults, especially the last. Nursing infants were attacked in
considerably less degree than any of these other ages. Also in the
higher ages those above sixty were attacked in lesser degree. The
greatest morbidity frequently was between the ages of twenty and forty.
Abbott concluded on the basis of estimates furnished him from various
institutions and individuals in the State that people of all ages were
attacked but the ratio of adults was greatest, of old people next, and
of children and infants least.
_Relationship of occupation to morbidity incidence._—Leichtenstern found
that the only apparent influence of occupation on the incidence of
influenza depended upon the liability to exposure in the various
occupations. He remarks particularly on the large incidence of influenza
among physicians. In contrast was the low incidence in lighthouse
keepers. In 1889–90 among 415 dwellers on 51 lightships and 20 isolated
lighthouses on the English coast only 8 persons developed influenza and
these in four localities, and in every instance there was traceable
direct communication from some other source. There is contradictory
evidence as to whether individuals working out of doors are more apt to
develop influenza. Certain statistics show that postmen and individuals
working on railroads were attacked more frequently and earlier than
others, while other statistics show that in railroads the office
personnel was attacked earlier than individuals on the trains and those
working on the tracks.
Abbott concluded that special occupations did not appear to have had a
marked effect in modifying the severity of the epidemic. At the Boston
Post Office in 1889–90, of the indoor employees, 475 in number, 25 per
cent. were attacked. Of the carriers, 450 in number, 11 per cent. were
affected with the disease. But there were other reports of the same
period which stated that the ratio of the persons employed at outdoor
occupations who were attacked was greater than that of indoor
occupation.
Finkler has discussed the influence of occupation at some length:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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