Two hundred and ninety cases of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) registered in England and Wales from 1970 to 1989 were followed at 6-monthly intervals. Male to female ratio was 2.8:1. Age at onset increased significantly over the period. Measles was recorded for 81% of cases; in nearly half this had occurred under 2 years. Measles vaccine was documented in 20 cases; in 10 measles was also documented and it could not be positively excluded in the remainder. The calculated risk of SSPE following measles was 4.0/100,000 cases compared with the risk after vaccine of 0.14/100,000 doses. Measles under 1 year carried a risk 16 times greater than measles over 5 years. There was an excess of cases in third and subsequent children. The incidence was higher in the northwest than in the southeast of the country. Survival time varied from 4 weeks to 16 years and was shorter when measles had occurred over the mean age of 2.5 years. Of the cases 9% had a history of mental retardation before the onset of SSPE. The incidence of SSPE has fallen following the reduction in measles resulting from vaccination. However, because of the median 8-year interval between measles and onset of SSPE, further cases arising from measles during the study period must still be expected, particularly in adolescents.
The epidemiology of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis in England and Wales 1970-1989
[Category] 홍역,
[Source] pubmed
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