ABSTRACT
The present study correlates the disease profile of 2536 persons belonging to 542 families with the available per capita floor area (PCFA). It was observed that 91.9 percent individuals were living in overcrowded conditions. As the PCFA decreased, the communicable diseases, infective and parasitic diseases and respiratory disease episodes exhibited a significant increase.
Subject(s)
Crowding , Health Status , Humans , India/epidemiologyABSTRACT
An industrial area with poor sanitation and inhabited by migrant, male predominant population, situated South to Surat City, experienced an outbreak of pyogenic meningitis during 1985-87. A total of 197 cases of meningitis with 34 deaths were reported during a period of 1 1/2 years. Neisseria meningitidis was the predominant pathogen isolated from 66 out of 138 CSF samples. Recently migrated males of productive age groups drawn from the States of Uttar Pradesh and Orissa were predominantly affected. Male to female ratio was found to be 7.2:1. Nearly 2/3rd of the cases were reported during the dry colder months of winter and spring. Pregnancy and childbirth appeared to be important predisposing factors in females. Nine cases were reported from the family contacts of cases. Majority of the cases were labourers doing manual work.