Is Cytomegalovirus Involved in Recurring Periods of Higher than Expected Death and Medical Admissions, Occurring as Clustered Outbreaks in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres?
Journal Title: Journal of Advances in Medicine and Medical Research - Year 2016, Vol 11, Issue 2
Abstract
A series of clustered infectious-like events have been recently documented in both the northern hemisphere (Canada, UK [England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales], all countries in the European Union, and the USA) and the southern hemisphere (Australia and New Zealand), in which both deaths and emergency admissions for a range of medical conditions appear to simultaneously rise in a step-like manner, stay high for a period of 12 to 18 months, and then revert back to the expected time trajectory. These unique events are also observed in very small geographical areas within the population area of a single hospital or Primary Care Organisation (PCO), and this precludes explanations based on acute thresholds to admission or to PCO funding, procedures and practice. These events have been overlooked by traditional health surveillance methodologies, simply because it was assumed that neither deaths nor medical admissions could behave in this unique way. Indeed, in the UK it has been widely assumed that the increases in medical admissions arising from these events are solely due to deficiencies in the organization and delivery of health and social care, often labelled as ‘failure to manage demand’. Based on the spectrum of medical conditions which are associated with the increased admissions and deaths, it has been proposed that the ubiquitous herpes virus, cytomegalovirus (CMV), may in some way be associated with these outbreaks. This involvement could be either by (re-)infection with a new strain, or by opportunistic reactivation in the presence of another agent. This review will examine if CMV is indeed capable of causing substantial increases in both deaths and medical admissions, and which conditions in particular would be affected.
Authors and Affiliations
Rodney P. Jones
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP339928
- DOI 10.9734/BJMMR/2016/20062
- Views 79
- Downloads 0
Knowledge, Attitude and Perception of Onchocerciasis and Ivermectin Treatment in Idogun Community, Ondo State, Nigeria
Introduction: Onchocerciasis is a communicable parasitic disease caused by a nematode; Onchocerca volvulus and vectored by female Simulium blackfly. The disease is common among poor rural dwellers where it causes various...
Hepatotoxicity and Nephrotoxicity of Automobile Gas Oil (Diesel Oil) and Its Biochemical Effect on Hematological and Oxidative Stress Parameters in Wistar Male Albino Rats
Aims: The study was designed to investigate the hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity of automobile gas oil (Diesel oil) and its biochemical effect on hematological and oxidative stress parameters in Wistar male albino rats....
Recovery Expectations and Quality of Life after Revascularization Treatments
Aims: Despite the recognized effectiveness of revascularization treatments in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD), a significant number of patients continue to bear a compromised health related quality of lif...
Utility of GenoType MTBDRPlus Assay for Direct Detection and Drug Susceptibility Testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from Probable Tuberculous Meningitis Patients
Aims: To evaluate GenoType® MTBDRplus line probe assay as a diagnostic tool for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and drug susceptibility testing from cerebrospinal fluid of probable tuberculous meningitis patient...
Haematological Indices and Absolute CD4 Counts of Apparently Healthy Population in Ondo State, Nigeria
Aims: This study was designed and conducted to establish the normal values of various haematological indices and CD4 absolute count for apparently healthy adult in Ondo State, and to compare these values with those obtai...