An antibody survey as an index of immunity to poliomyelitis among Filipinos (1963)

Sera of 1078 healthy individuals in Manila and neighboring provinces were tested this year (1963) for neutralizing antibodies against each of the three types of polio virus. Individuals tested had not been vaccinated against polio. They ranged in age from 1 month to 25 years and over; the majority were children between 1 to 9 years old: Under 6 months old, 92 were positive for neutralizing antibodies, presumably from the mother through placental transfer. This prevalence rate decreased in the 6-12 month group (61.85), to increase again in age groups 1 to 4 years old. Apparently, these would be the two groups that should be given priority immunization where the vaccine supply is limited. By 5 to 9 years old, 98 were positive for polio antibodies and this rate rose to 100 in the 20-24 year groupThe present study did not include observations on the socio-economic factors in view of the need for detailed consideration of many combined factorsIt was not possible either to determine changing patterns of polio infection as compared to the first work of Hammon (1955) in view of a great difference in the number of individuals tested in these two surveys. (Summary)

Dengue and dengue-like fevers in children

Dengue fever, a known tropical disease, was overlooked for many years in the Philippines until about 1956 when a virologist, Dr. W. Mcb. Hammon, in an effort to seek the etiology of a febrile hemorrhagic symptom-complex first described in 1954 by Quintos et al found in their blood samples an antibody rise and also isolated strains of dengue virus. In fact, Hammon was convinced for his viral studies that during th epidemic of hemorrhagic fevers in this country,. even influenza-like cases at that time were manifestations of an infection with the same virusThis paper presents observations in a group of 52 children, ranging from 2 to 7 years old, who were hospitalized in 1960 due to fever, headache, abdominal pain, restlessness, flushing, and often with a terminal purplish rash in the hands up to the arms and feet up to the legsThe blood count showed a shift to the left in Schillings hemogram, increase in the stab count, monecytosis and plasmocytosisHemorrhages varying in severity, site and extent (hematuria, melena, epistaxis, petechia or hematuria) were observed in 25 cases (46.1%). Blood studies revealed that the hemorrhagic tendency was the result of increased capillary fragility and permeability rather than the more common concept of thrombocytopeniaAn additional laboratory examination in this study was the hemagglutination inhibition test which has given us some light on the etiology of the symptom complex under study. (Summary)

Familial non-hemolytic jaundice with conjugated and unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia

Ten jaundiced and sixty nine non-jaundiced members from two unrelated families were the subjects of this report. The jaundiced members showed qualitative and quantitative differences in the clinical and chemical expression of this disease. Excretory defects such as idiopathic hypercholesterolemia and asymptomatic PBI elevations were noted in jaundiced and non-jaundiced members. It was emphasized that this disease may manifest with various combinations of excretory defects for conjugated forms of bilirubin, iodopanoic acid (Telepaque), Bromsulfalein (BSP), liver pigment (? metanephrine glucuronide) and probably iodine and cholic acid. It was postulated that a protein carrier in the liver cytoplasma have binding sites for these substances. Variations of binding sites on these protein molecules result in different manifestations in affected members of a family or different families with this disease. It also show that they are not necessarily different syndromes. (Summary)