Publications

an analysis of autopsy brain tissue from infants prenatally exposed to methymercury.	brains from 32 neonatal autopsies from the seychelles were examined histologically and analyzed for mercury levels. six brain regions were sampled: frontal and occipital cortex, temporal cortex with hippocampus, basal ganglia with thalamus, cerebellum, and pons with medulla. tissue blocks for histology and mercury analysis were taken from opposing faces to provide for correlation of findings. similar studies were performed on 12 reference neonatal brains from rochester, new york. no clear-cut de ...	1995	8714873
[history of insular malaria in the southwestern indian ocean: an eco-epidemiologic approach].	madagascar has been isolated from the african continent since the mesozoic era. the archipelago in this region emerged from volcanism during the early and the beginning of the late cenozoic era. consequently, during the prehistoric period, these islands were populated by only birds. parasites and their vectors have been imported. in madagascar (with the exception of the highlands) and in certain comoro islands, their implantation in a favorable biotope was contemporary with the coming of humans. ...	1995	8784538
[malaria in mayotte: past, present and future].	discovered as a form of intermittent fevers in 1852 and confirmed by blin in 1905, malaria has had a large impact on the mortality and the morbidity of the population living in mayotte until 1976. an evolutionary analysis of the disease shows two distinct periods. the first period between 1792 and 1974 concerns the date of introduction of malaria to the island and the limited actions of the fight against malaria led by different organizations. the second period from 1976, when the program was es ...	1995	8784540
[particularities and stratification of malaria in madagascar].	the first factor is the malaria parasite, for which the species p. falciparum and p. vivax are important. secondly, the transmission determines the disease stability and challenges the host's immunity. the third factor is the human host, consisting of people of both african and asiatic origin, the latter of whom are more susceptible to p. vivax. human activities such as cultivating rice fields are of paramount importance for the proliferation of the vectors. the vectors a. gambiae, a. arabiensis ...	1995	8784545
[vector control in the epidemics of the madagascar highlands].	the plateau, or more precisely the highlands, cover most of the central part of madagascar with an altitude higher than 1,000 m. there the climate is tropical with a wet and hot season, from october through april coincident with further outbreaks of malaria. this alternates with a dry season from may through september when the temperature is not favorable to the development of the vectors and the extrinsic cycle of the parasite. the malaria is unstable. the short season of transmission is someti ...	1995	8784547
[entomological surveillance in mauritius].	the entomological surveillance is an essential link in the fight against malaria in mauritius. because of the large number of malaria-infected travellers in mauritius and the presence of the vector anopheles arabiensis, the risk of local transmission is very real. the medical entomology division together with the malaria control unit and the health appointees exert a rigorous entomological surveillance of malaria. field agents make entomological investigations of pilot villages and around the ha ...	1995	8784549
[malaria: research perspectives in medical entomology in madagascar].	the entomological studies on malaria in madagascar had especially concerned the behavior of vectors in relation to insecticides. the cessation of spraying within the homes and the absence of chloroquine allowed a re-emergence of malaria on the plateau in the 1980's. this phenomenon pointed out the heterogeneity of the transmission on the island. it was necessary to define the entomological characteristics of the four principal facies of transmission in madagascar. these studies provided the serv ...	1995	8784550
the epidemiologic transition to chronic diseases in developing countries: cardiovascular mortality, morbidity, and risk factors in seychelles (indian ocean). investigators of the seychelles heart study.	the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases (cvd) and related risk factors was evaluated in seychelles, a middle level income country, as accumulating evidence supports increasing rates of cvd in developing countries. cvd mortality was obtained from vital statistics for two periods, 1984-5 and 1991-3. cvd morbidity was estimated by retrospective review of discharge diagnoses for all admissions to medical wards in 1990-1992. levels of cvd risk factors in the population were assessed in 1989 through ...	1995	7900434
the health services of sri lanka present and future.	1) sri lanka has achieved a high human development status; 2) the health sector, and particularly the government health sector, has played an important role in this achievement. 3) the health transition is going to increase the burden of disease and the demand for health services; 4) the government health services have been underfunded and the provincial health services have been more underfunded; 5) the most cost efficient health services, anywhere in the world, are government funded; 6) theref ...	1995	8536324
subfossil indri indri from the ankarana massif of northern madagascar.	subfossil specimens of indri indri have been recovered recently from the ankarana massif cave system in the far north of madagascar. taken together with material from the central highland site of ampasambazimba, the range of this species appears to have once included much of the northern half of the island and to have extended north and west beyond the eastern rainforest (not unlike hapalemur simus). it is probable that forest corridors connected the subfossil localities to the current range at ...	1995	7485433
[79 cases of invasive cancer of the cervix uteri in the department of oncology in antananarivo. can diagnostic delays be improved?].	the frequency of invasive cervical carcinoma in western countries is currently decreasing. the development of methods of early diagnosis has improved the prognosis of the disease. in madagascar, like in other african countries, invasive cervical carcinoma is the first genital cancer affecting women. the diagnosis comes late. actions can be taken to improve the prognosis through early diagnosis of invasive cervical carcinoma. our purpose was to analyze the main causes leading to these delays in d ...	1995	7640903
presence of secretory iga antibodies to an enteric bacterial pathogen in human milk and saliva.	the concept of a common mucosal immune system in man was tested by examining the concurrent presence of specific-secretory iga (siga) antibodies in human milk and saliva from three groups of subjects: 64 sri lankan women living in sri lanka; 20 immigrant asian women living in birmingham (median duration of residence in the united kingdom five years); and 75 caucasian women living in birmingham (controls). enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (elisa) were developed to detect enterotoxigenic escheri ...	1995	7712266
preferential localization of the limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2a gene in the proximal part of a 1-cm 15q15.1-q15.3 interval.	a gene for a recessive form of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (lgmd2a) has been localized to chromosome 15. a physical map of the 7-cm candidate 15q15.1-q21.1 region has been constructed by means of a 10-12-mb continuum of overlapping yac clones. new microsatellite markers developed from these yacs were genotyped on large, consanguineous lgmd2a pedigrees from different origins. the identification of recombination events in these families allowed the restriction of the lgmd2a region to an estimat ...	1995	7762565
initiatives. mauritius: a right to know. mfpa launches sex education in primary schools.	the mauritius family planning association (mfpa) launches sex education in selected primary schools in the country. this move has received support from parents and teachers after a strong advocacy campaign and mfpa had collected data and evidence to back up its campaign. through focus group discussions with students, mfpa was able to obtain useful data for the development of an appropriate curriculum, in collaboration with a task force, parents, and teachers. the content of the curriculum inc ...	1995	12349751
emigration dynamics from and within south asia.	this review of current knowledge about emigration dynamics from and within south asia (bangladesh, india, pakistan, and sri lanka) opens with a brief history of the three phases of emigration from the area since the 1830s (plantation labor; postindependence to the uk, us, canada, and australia; and labor migration to the oil-exporting countries). the influence of the creation of pakistan and bangladesh is also covered as are british colonial and commonwealth policies. it is noted that migratio ...	1995	12347011
the economic, demographic, sociocultural and political setting for emigration from sri lanka.	this study of emigration from sri lanka is introduced by a brief review of the situation during the colonial period and an overview of recent migration experience. the second section of the paper deals with data collection and sources for labor migration, political migration, and estimates of total net migration. the third section looks at economic and demographic trends in terms of the growth of the economy, population growth and social well-being, the growth of the labor force, unemployment, ...	1995	12347013
gender and the environment. women's time use as a measure of environmental change.	these case studies pertain to marginal dry land rural areas in developing countries. the evidence suggests that women have shorter rest periods, greater intensity and fragmentation of work, and greater use of multiple simultaneous occupations than men. macroeconomic policies have increased the work burden for women and for the poorest populations and have contributed to environmental deterioration. this paper focuses on women's use of time as a factor in explaining women's changing gender ro ...	1995	12291370
programme's research on determinants of abortion has impact on policy.	induced abortion remains a relatively uncharted research topic in medical demography, social science, and to a lesser extent, in epidemiology. up to 20% of the 500,000 maternal deaths which occur annually throughout the world, however, may be a consequence of complications of unsafe abortion procedures. the undp/unfpa/who/world bank special program of research, development, and research training in human reproduction started a number of studies in 1989 in developing countries on the determinan ...	1994	12287984
mauritius finds the magic mix.	the experience in mauritius highlights the central importance of investments in human resources, particularly female education, to sustainable social and economic development. fertility on this island declined from 6.2 to 3.2 children per woman between 1963-72, and this unprecedented fertility decline was followed, in the 1980s, by dramatic economic growth. this scenario challenges the traditional belief that economic growth is an essential precondition for fertility decline. increasing age at ...	1994	12345831
an overview of present and future emigration dynamics in south asia.	the author presents preliminary findings on selected aspects of the dynamics which govern emigration from and within the south asian region comprised of bangladesh, india, pakistan, and sri lanka. the paper attempts to identify some of the major reasons for observed migration flows and how the future may be envisaged especially in view of government programs, policies, and priorities. contract labor migration is given special attention since it has become the predominant type of migration in t ...	1994	12346098
[why compare hepatosplenic bilharziasis in six african countries with the help of ultrasonography? presentation of a who project including madagascar].	during a morbidity survey in two endemic foci of hepatosplenic schistosomiasis in the malagasy hauts plateaux (tetikanana, 80 km east of ambositra and lohanosy, in the vicinity of antananarivo), the objectives of a comparative pathology who project are presented. the survey in madagascar was concurrently organized by the ministry of health (bilharziasis central laboratory, dlmt), the parasitology unit of the local pasteur institute and the medical parasitology institute of bonn university, in ge ...	1994	7778949
iga antibodies in human milk: epidemiological markers of previous infections?	the concept of an enteromammary link in secretory iga (siga) antibody production was tested by hypothesising that specific siga antibody profiles in human milk might be an epidemiological marker for enteropathogens in a community. milk from three subject groups was studied: 64 sri lankan women living in poor suburbs of colombo, 20 asian immigrant women domiciled in birmingham, for a median period of five years (range 14 days-16 years), and 75 white women living in birmingham. an enzyme linked im ...	1994	7820715
[historical epidemiology of bancroftian filariasis in southwest islands of the indian ocean].	bancroftian filariasis arose in the south-west indian ocean islands with human settlements. during the xixe century, most of the islands were infected but the prevalence and clinical features of the disease were different from an island to an other. the vectors are cx. quinquefasciatus, an. gambiae, an. arabiensis, an. funestus. even if culex are proven vectors most of the transmission is due to anophelines. the introduction of the parasite was followed by an explosion of the diseases with drama ...	1994	7827525
[hepatic hydatidosis in madagascar: a case of autochthonous origin].	hydatid disease, due to the larval stage of echinococcus granulosus, is described for the second time at liver level, in madagascar. even with a low level of endemic animal disease and an uncontrolled population of stray dogs, the human parasitosis is very rare in madagascar. it is interesting to note that, since a hundred of years, the epidemiological status of this zoonosis has not really changed in the great island.	1994	7575029
[hiv infection in tuberculosis patients in madagascar. situation in 1-93].	in madagascar, the estimated incidence of tuberculosis is high (320 per 100,000) when human immunodeficiency virus (vih) infection progress slowly. the authors have studied hiv seroprevalence in a group of tubercular patients and in two reference groups (general population and outpatients of the clinical biology centre of institut pasteur). circulation of hiv1 virus was observed with a low prevalence rate in all the 3 groups. there was no significant difference between tubercular patients and he ...	1994	7575038
[ocular cysticercosis (o.c.) in madagascar (apropos of 6 cases)].	cysticercosis is due to cysticercus cellulosae and was know since a long time. human is an intermediate occasional host by ingesting accidentally eggs of tenia. in madagascar, neurocysticercosis are predominating (55%), occular localisations are not frequent (5%) and concerned particularly vitreous humour and retina. diagnosis relies on serology: elisa test, then western blot completed with research of circulating antibody and antigen in the acqueous humor by immocapture. anatomopathologic test ...	1994	8724807
recombinations in individuals homozygous by descent localize the friedreich ataxia locus in a cloned 450-kb interval.	the locus for friedreich ataxia (frda), a severe neurodegenerative disease, is tightly linked to markers d9s5 and d9s15, and analysis of rare recombination events has suggested the order cen-frda-d9s5-d9s15-qter. we report here the construction of a yac contig extending 800 kb centromeric to d9s5 and the isolation of five new microsatellite markers from this region. in order to map these markers with respect to the frda locus, all within a 1-cm confidence interval, we sought to increase the gene ...	1994	8198128
viruses isolated from mosquitoes collected in sri lanka.	attempts to isolate viruses from 178,181 unengorged female mosquitoes collected from different ecologic areas of sri lanka yielded 31 isolates: 17 of japanese encephalitis (je) virus, nine of getah virus, three of a batai-related bunyavirus, and two of arkonam virus. culex tritaeniorhynchus and mansonia uniformis mosquitoes were found to carry je virus in a dry zone nonepidemic area, and cx. pseudovishnui was found to carry it in a wet zone nonepidemic area. japanese encephalitis virus was isola ...	1994	7915499
seroepidemiology, viral isolation, and molecular characterization of human t cell leukemia/lymphoma virus type i from la réunion island, indian ocean.	data indicate the presence in the seychelles islands of a high level of human t cell leukemia/lymphoma virus type i (htlv-i) endemicity as well as the presence of tropical spastic paraparesis/htlv-i-associated myelopathy (tsp/ham). we present here the results of an hospital survey performed since 1988 in la réunion island, located in the indian ocean southeast of the seychelles archipelago, aimed at evaluating htlv-i endemicity, detecting htlv-i-associated diseases, and characterizing viral isol ...	1994	7915530
postirrigation breeding patterns of surface water mosquitoes in the mahaweli project, sri lanka, and comparisons with preceding developmental phases.	a 2-yr (1988-1989) survey of mosquitoes breeding in surface water was done in an area of the mahaweli project of sri lanka that underwent irrigation development and human settlement during the preceding 3 yr. in total, 78,649 immatures of 42 species were collected during the survey. species of medical importance in the area were anopheles annularis van der wulp, an. culicifacies giles, an. jamesii theobald, an. nigerrimus giles, an. subpictus grassi, an. vagus doenitz, an. varuna iyengar, manson ...	1994	7932596
population dynamics of anophelines in a malathion treated village in the intermediate zone of sri lanka.	as part of research programme on malaria transmission in sri lanka, a study was made of man-biting anophelines at nikawehera, a village on the border of the intermediate and dry rainfall zones. weekly mosquito collections by night human bait (nhb) were performed inside and outside four fixed stations from october 1992 till march 1993. houses in the village were treated with malathion by the anti-malaria campaign in october and at the end of january 1993. an. culicifacies and an. tesselatus were ...	1994	7944653
population dynamics of anthropophilic mosquitoes during the northeast monsoon season in the malaria epidemic zone of sri lanka.	mosquito-borne diseases are a major health problem in sri lanka. human biting mosquitoes were collected during the night (18.00-06.00 hours) at nikawehera village, in the malaria endemic intermediate rainfall zone of the country. collections were made at monthly intervals in the period october 1991 to april 1992, which included the main rainy season due to the northeast monsoon (october-january). thirteen anopheles, eleven culex, three aedes, three mansonia and one armigeres species were identif ...	1994	7949318
survey of mycotic and bacterial keratitis in sri lanka.	over a two-year period (1976-1977 and 1980-1981), 66 cases of bacterial and mycotic cases of keratitis were diagnosed in the eye clinic of the general hospital in kandy, sri lanka. the clinical and microbiologic aspects of these cases are described. noteworthy was the first known human case caused by paecilomyces farinosus, a geophilic species, commonly encountered as an insect parasite throughout the world. the bacterial and the other fungal etiologic agents isolated and identified were: pseudo ...	1994	7984216
epidemiology of human toxocariasis in la réunion.	in la réunion island (indian ocean) a seroepidemiological survey for toxocariasis was carried out among 387 subjects over 15 years old by western blotting using toxocara canis excretory-secretory larval antigens; 92.8% of the sera were positive. statistical study, including logistic regression analysis, showed a significant correlation of western blot results with sex, age, and absence of water supply. the final logistic model demonstrated that only the last 2 factors were significant multiplica ...	1994	7992328
phylogenetic classification of human t cell leukaemia/lymphoma virus type i genotypes in five major molecular and geographical subtypes.	proviral dna was obtained from ex vivo peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 75 human t cell leukaemia/lymphoma virus type i (htlv-i)-infected individuals who were either asymptomatic or had adult t cell leukaemia or tropical spastic paraparesis/htlv-i-associated myelopathy. amplified long terminal repeats (ltrs) were analysed for restriction fragment length polymorphisms (rflps). the results, together with previously published ltr data (a total of 180 specimens analysed), showed the presence of ...	1994	7996161
human enzyme polymorphism in the canary islands. vi. northwest african influence.	the genetic polymorphism of eight red cell enzymes was analyzed in population samples from the northwest african continent and from the south of spain in order to study their genetic relationships with the canarian population. the moroccan, berber and spanish populations, although geographically more distant from the canary islands than the saharan and mauritanian ones, are genetically more closely related to the canarian population. the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase gc allele earlier found ...	1994	8039799
[a serological survey regarding flaviviridae infections on the island of réunion (1971-1989)].	serological prevalence of flaviviridae was studied on reunion island by testing 2,507 human sera from a randomised sample. each serum was tested against 5 viruses (yellow fever, dengue type 1 and 2, west nile and wesselsbron) using haemagglutination inhibition test: 42.68% of human sera were found positive. the multivalent reactions represent practically three fourths of the positive ones. a severe dengue type 2 outbreak on the island in 1977-1978 and the possible circulation of a flavivirus may ...	1994	8061530
the role of streptococcus viridans in human infections in mauritius.		1994	8080203
low prevalence of expression of p53 oncoprotein in oral carcinomas from sri lanka associated with betel and tobacco chewing.	overexpression of p53 oncoprotein has been demonstrated in a wide range of human malignancies. we have examined the p53 expression amongst 38 sri lankan subjects with histologically confirmed oral squamous cell carcinomas. the mean age of the subjects was 59.4 years and betel chewing with tobacco was the most common habit (84%) with a high percentage of patients smoking (63%). buccal mucosa was the most frequently affected site (68%) with a high proportion (79%) of well differentiated carcinomas ...	1993	8180591
[epidemiological malaria surveillance in 3 villages of the madagascar highlands].	results of the epidemiological surveillance of falciparum malaria carried out since 1987 in three villages of the malagasy highlands are reported. they clearly show the unsteady endemo-epidemic characteristic of the disease with highly variable transmission levels according to foci. at manarintsoa, a south-western village 20km away from the capital, the disease has now fully disappeared after the ravage of 1986. but it might reappear with new imported cases and by lack of antivectorial measures. ...	1993	8192540
[situation of endemic rabies in madagascar].	the course of endemic rabies in madagascar between 1982 and 1991 is related. rabies has been raging over the whole island and dog is essentially affected, constituting the single vector of human rabies cases. the authors recall the main measures of struggle against rabies.	1993	8192541
[epidemiological stratification of malaria in madagascar].	madagascar is considered as a sub-region of the afrotropical geographical region in spite of the high endemicity of 95% of the invertebrates. nevertheless the three malaria vectors an. gambiae s.s., an. arabiensis and an. funestus are quite similar to those of the continental africa. this support the hypothesis of their recent introduction. plasmodium falciparum is the dominant parasite but the prevalence of p. vivax is not negligible. it is linked to the asian component of the human population. ...	1993	8192542
[influenza surveillance in tananarive during the year 1992].	the authors relate the 1992 results of influenza surveillance in antananarivo. 24 influenza virus a (h3n2) strains were isolated from 467 pharyngeal swabs. the virus had been continually spreading from january to september, with a peak in july, along with some monthly sporadic isolations. the highest respiratory morbidity was observed in june and july. the collection processes of influenzal and respiratory morbidity statistics are also discussed in order to standardize data and to define the rea ...	1993	8192546
seroepidemiology of dengue and other arboviruses in a natural population of toque macaques (macaca sinica) at polonnaruwa, sri lanka.	a seroepidemiological study of arboviruses infecting 115 wild toque macaques (macaca sinica) at polonnaruwa, sri lanka showed a high prevalence of antibodies to dengue and lumbo viruses. there was low seroprevalence of chandipura (2/115) and batai (1/115) virus antibodies, but no seropositivity to chikungunya or sindbis. there was no serological evidence of infection by japanese encephalitis (je) virus in spite of large human epidemics in the study area, indicating that toque macaques are unlike ...	1993	8230174
genetic polymorphism of orosomucoid (orm) in populations of the united kingdom, indian subcontinent, and cambodia.	the genetic variation of the human serum orosomucoid (orm) was investigated by isoelectric focusing (ief) followed by immunofixation in 15 different populations from east midlands (united kingdom), india, sri lanka, and cambodia. statistically significant differences were observed between various asiatic and british populations, however differences within asiatic and european populations were minor. the distribution of orm1 alleles in populations investigated to date suggests an interesting east ...	1993	8260721
occupational exposure of sri lankan tea plantation workers to paraquat.	absorption of the herbicide paraquat (1,1'-dimethyl-4,4'-bipyridinium) by mixer-loaders and spray operators on a sri lankan tea plantation was assessed over five consecutive days of spraying. beginning on the day before spraying started and continuing for each of the five spraying days and for seven days after the last day of spraying, 24-hour urine samples were collected from each of the workers. potential dermal exposure was assessed during further applications of paraquat on the day after the ...	1993	8261566
htlv-i associated myelopathy in a seychellois immigrant.	to describe the clinical and laboratory features of human t-lymphotropic virus type i (htlv-i) associated myelopathy in an immigrant from the seychelles.	1993	8316110
evaluation of a nonisotopic dna assay kit for diagnosing plasmodium falciparum malaria in madagascar.	this study evaluated a nonisotopic dna assay kit for diagnosing plasmodium falciparum malaria in an area of madagascar where all plasmodium species of human malaria are present and where malaria is endemic. blood samples from 440 healthy children and 20 healthy adults were processed and assayed in a single day in a blind protocol. the parasitemia levels of the four plasmodium species were determined by microscopic examinations and by counts of numbers of malaria parasites per 1,000 white blood c ...	1993	8447525
human immune responses to the plasmodium falciparum ring-infected erythrocyte surface antigen (pf155/resa) after a decrease in malaria transmission in madagascar.	a resurgence of falciparum malaria occurred in the central highlands of madagascar in the 1980s and was responsible for an outbreak in 1986-1987. since 1989, transmission has decreased dramatically. in april 1991, we investigated the humoral and cellular immune responses of 53 inhabitants of the village of manarintsoa to six synthetic peptides that reproduced the major b and/or t cell epitopes of the pfl 55/ring-infected erythrocyte surface antigen (resa) of plasmodium falciparum. the presence o ...	1993	8470778
viral hepatitis complicating pregnancy--a five year hospital based retrospective study.	limited data are available on viral hepatitis (vh) complicating pregnancy from sri lanka. we retrospectively studied all pregnant and non-pregnant women of child bearing age, who were admitted with vh to the teaching hospital peradeniya between january 1987 and december 1991. during this period, there were 187 cases of icteric vh among non-pregnant women of child bearing age, but only 10 cases among pregnant women (hospital incidence of 0.35 cases of vh per 1000 pregnancy related admissions). tw ...	1993	8477484
human infection with dirofilaria (nochtiella) repens in sri lanka.		1993	8477486
on an infection of a human eye with parastrongylus (= angiostrongylus) sp. in sri lanka.	a metastrongyle worm extracted from the anterior chamber of the right eye of a patient in sri lanka belongs to the genus parastrongylus and probably to a yet undescribed species, related to p. cantonensis well known to infect man. it is mostly a parasite of rodents, wandering in man and unadapted to this host. evidence for this lack of adaptation are that the specimen is undergoing necrosis (teratological specimen) and is located in an organ with little immunological defences.	1993	8509620
the ecology of dogs and canine rabies: a selective review.	although dogs are the most widespread and abundant of all carnivores, the role of the dog in human cultures and its impact on the environment have rarely been studied. these subjects are reviewed in the context of canine rabies. to understand the epizootiology of canine rabies, the ecology and population biology of the dog must be considered. information on dog populations (in relation to different habitats, cultures, social strata of human populations and epizootiological situations) was collec ...	1993	8518447
japanese encephalitis in sri lanka: comparison of vector and virus ecology in different agro-climatic areas.	the ecology of japanese encephalitis (je) in different agro-climatological areas of sri lanka was studied in relation to the abundance of mosquito vectors, infection in domestic livestock, and human infection and disease. there was an inverse correlation between altitude and the abundance of potential je vectors, as well as je seroprevalence in domestic livestock and in man. little or no je infection was documented above 1200 m elevation. je seroprevalences in cattle and goats were better predic ...	1993	7903495
the epidemiology of myelopathy associated with human t-lymphotropic virus 1.	a progressive spastic myelopathy is one of the principal manifestations of the human t cell lymphotropic virus type 1. recent research is reviewed on the geography and epidemiology of this specific form of tropical spastic paraparesis. first recognized in the caribbean, colombia and japan, it is now also confirmed as a major neurological problem in areas of eastern brazil, western equatorial africa, natal and seychelles, with other scattered foci world-wide. accurate surveys call for sophisticat ...	1993	7687800
defining and explaining tropical deforestation: shifting cultivation and population growth in colonial madagascar (1896-1940).	the case study of deforestation in madagascar demonstrated how deforestation is a complex phenomenon that reflects interconnections between land-based resources, human groups, and global political economy; specifically, there is a link between changing land use practices affecting shifting cultivation and tropical deforestation. the general development model of exponential population growth and shifting cultivation causing deforestation and environmental degradation is too simplified, places und ...	1993	12318844
starting a programme in sri lanka.	a survey conducted by the sri lanka family planning association (fpa) revealed a significant unmet need for reproduction health education among young people. the fpa presented the survey findings to policy makers and educational leaders at a national seminar. emerging from this seminar were a pilot project in sri lanka schools, a program to train counselors in premarital at regular intervals. these interventions resulted in a substantial increase in the number of young people presenting to fp ...	1993	12345373
[resistances and initiatives in madagascar].	despite madagascar's recognition of the importance of population education in changing fertility attitudes and behaviors as a step toward achieving development, population education in the country faces cultural, political and institutional resistance typical of africa. culturally, population education is offered in the context of a traditional educational system with a populationist ideology that favors uncontrolled fertility. taboos concerning sexuality inhibit discussion of family planning. ...	1993	12286389
puppets on a string: women's wage work and empowerment among female tea plantation workers of sri lanka.	access to resources and control of ones' income are key features of women's empowerment. the current development strategy is to create opportunities for poor women in developing countries. because access to income alone does not ensure empowerment, this study examines sociopolitical factors among the indian tamil female tea plantation workers in sri lanka that impact women's ability to control their own income. 95% of the female indian tamil plantation work force is devoted to the tea industr ...	1993	12286574
[water and environment in the southwest of madagascar].	the dry and arid southwest region of madagascar is not a desert but resembles the sahel region of west africa. the chronic water deficit is aggravated by the heat and constant winds that accelerate evapotranspiration on the permeable soils. the dryness occurs because the southwest region lies outside the main pluviogenic systems. erosion occurs at all seasons. in the winter the sun and winds are the main causes, while the rare storms are more conducive to run-off and to erosion than to absor ...	1993	12286688
forests vanish as population expands.	madagascar's forests have been reduced to a narrowing strip along the eastern escarpment. of the original forest cover of 11.2 million hectares, only 7.6 million remained in 1950. today this has been halved to 3.8 million hectares--which means the habitat for the island's unique wildlife has been halved, in just 40 years. every year some 3% of the remaining forest is cleared, almost all of that to provide land for populations expanding at 3.2% a year. the story of 1 village, ambodiaviavy, ne ...	1992	12285236
ethical issues in community health care.	health care professionals are expected to base their practice on a set of ethical principles, including truthfulness, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice, and confidentiality. dilemmas can arise, however, when a medical professional is called upon to act in opposition to personal values or in cases where the values of patient, health care worker, and sponsoring institution conflict. the author outlines several of the ethical dilemmas that have arisen in community medicine in sri lanka. since ...	1992	12285736
migration and development: a critical relationship.	"wide income differentials, the threat of increased illegal immigration from developing countries, and sub-replacement fertility in the developed countries are some reasons for the recent reassessment of the relationship between migration and development.... the model presented in this article proposes different roles for permanent immigrants, contract workers, professional transients, illegal migrants and others according to the stages of modernization of the sending and receiving countries. t ...	1992	12317235
a nonsense mutation in exon 4 of the cystic fibrosis gene frequent among the population of the reunion island.		1992	1284471
charles darwin's anthropological observations on ceylonese.	in his 1871 work, the descent of man and selection in relation to sex. darwin has made three anthropological observations pertaining to the nose, beard and polygamy in ceylonese. he never visited ceylon, and his observations were based on the works of sir j. emerson tennent (1859) and sir j. lubbock (1865).	1992	1291143
rift valley fever epizootic in the central highlands of madagascar.	between february and april 1991, unusual numbers of bovine abortion around antananarivo (central highlands, madagascar) were reported by official veterinary services. rift valley fever (rvf) virus isolations were made from sixteen aborted foetuses and one dead calf in different foci. using monoclonal antibodies, the isolated viruses were found to be different from the 1979 rvf strains isolated in madagascar from mosquitoes and human laboratory infection, and closer to african rvf strains. in a b ...	1992	1297176
[rift valley fever in madagascar in 1991. sero-epidemiological studies in cattle].	rift valley fever (rvf) virus was detected for the first time in madagascar in 1979, but without any impact on human and animal populations. however, in 1990 and 1991, several outbreaks with massive cattle abortions were described. since that period, seroepidemiological surveys have been conducted on the east coast and in the highlands (outbreak areas), in the high cattle density regions, and in the national slaughter house in antananarivo. a high rvf igm antibody prevalence was detected in the ...	1992	1301622
isolation of mycobacterium simiae from the environment.	an examination of 18 sphagnum samples collected in two different biotopes of the coastal region of southeastern madagascar revealed an unexpectedly high positivity for mycobacteria (83.3%). the concentration of alcohol acid-fast bacilli reached a high level of 10(5) and 10(6)/g, respectively, compared with the sphagnum biotopes in moderate climates. besides the habitat-specific mycobacterial species in sphagnum vegetation, like m. sphagni, m. gordonae and m. madagascariense, potentially pathogen ...	1992	1303699
high seasonal malaria transmission rates in the intermediate rainfall zone of sri lanka.	malaria transmission was studied at nikawehera, a long-established farming village, located in the intermediate rainfall zone of sri lanka. observations were made over a 12-month period (october-september) that included the main rainy season which occurred during the north-east monsoon in november-january. anolpheles culicifacies, the recognized vector of malaria in sri lanka, was the predominant anopheline mosquito collected by human night baiting at nikawehera. high entomological inoculation r ...	1992	1304700
japanese encephalitis in sri lanka--the study of an epidemic: vector incrimination, porcine infection and human disease.	a prospective study of mosquito vectors, porcine infection and human disease was carried out during a japanese encephalitis (je) epidemic in the north central province of sri lanka (november-december 1987) and a subsequent non-epidemic year (1988). the epidemic involved 361 cases of human encephalitis, virologically confirmed by immunoglobulin m enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa), and was preceded 2-3 weeks earlier by sentinel porcine seroconversion. virus isolation and viral antigen dete ...	1992	1329275
[the plague: disease and vaccine?].	plague has existed in madagascar since 1896, with epidemic control achieved by girard with an ev vaccine in 1937. plague persists in madagascar, however, due to the large animal reservoir. with a predilection for nodal tissues, yersinia pestis is a virulent bacteria that is potent inducer of antibody synthesis. immunity mechanisms stimulated by infection were studied: 1. in human by immunoenzymatic methods 2. in mice by seroprotection and vaccinating tests. induced immunity for people in endemic ...	1992	1345094
[cysticercosis in madagascar: diagnostic and therapeutic improvement].	human cysticercosis is linked to infection by the larval stage of taenia solium: cysticercus cellulosae and was identified in madagascar since 1901. neurocysticercosis constitute, when parasite is localized in cerebral vesicles, a disease with important neurologic symptoms: epilepsia, spasms... this disease would be diagnosed before parasite calcification and this diagnosis permit praziquantel treatment indication, with good results in many cases. we have developed cysticercosis diagnosis permit ...	1992	1345095
first fatal human case of rift valley fever in madagascar.		1992	1412665
transmission blocking immunity to human plasmodium vivax malaria in an endemic population in kataragama, sri lanka.	serum effects on gametocyte infectivity, that is, transmission blocking/enhancing immunity, were measured in the sera of 196 acute plasmodium vivax patients who were residents of a malaria region in kataragama, southern sri lanka. direct mosquito feedings were also performed on 170 of these patients. sera of about 48% of patients suppressed gametocyte infectivity significantly (by more than 75%) and of a smaller proportion (12%) had pronounced infectivity enhancing effects. transmission immunity ...	1992	1437231
[malaria in the dunkerque hospital center from december 1979 to december 1990].	seventy-one cases of malaria were diagnosed in the hospital of dunkerque from 1979 to 1990. forty-five patients have been infected in the comores islands. among the 24 other imported cases, 17 (71%) have been contaminated in western or central africa. one case of congenital malaria and one of malaria acquired by blood transfusion are also reported. plasmodium falciparum was detected in 84.5% of the patients. the four human species were found among the comorians. two cases with abnormal forms of ...	1992	1443798
[specifics of the epidemiology of urinary schistosomiasis in mauritius].	early observations on this disease were made in mauritius by chapotin (1812) before the discovery of schistosoma haematobium. bulinus cernicus, the snail intermediate host, one of the nine species within the b. forskali group, is restricted to the island and the disease is not occurring in the neighbouring islands of la reunion and rodrigues. under laboratory conditions, the snail susceptibility to the mauritian strain of s. haematobium has been demonstrated. but the infection rate of the snail ...	1992	1446177
malaria transmission at a new irrigation project in sri lanka: the emergence of anopheles annularis as a major vector.	malaria transmission was studied in a newly irrigated area of the mahaweli project in the dry zone of sri lanka. observations were performed for a three-month period following the northeast monsoon. parasitemia in the population varied from 20.2% in february to 7% in may, and infection was due to both plasmodium falciparum and p. vivax. night catches of mosquitoes collected with human bait included a high proportion of anopheles annularis. mosquitoes containing sporozoites in the salivary glands ...	1992	1449195
mycobacterium ulcerans infection; is the "bairnsdale ulcer" also a ceylonese disease?	mycobacterium ulcerans infection produces progressive skin ulceration in man and other mammalia. the disease was first described in 1984 in patients from the bairnsdale district in australia, but was known in africa well before this time. it has since been reported from many, mostly tropical countries in africa, central and south america, and south-east asia. the infection characteristically occurs in closely defined areas which are related to river or lacustrian systems draining tropical or war ...	1992	1486648
investigation of the polymorphic scai site by a pcr-based assay at the human atrial natriuretic peptides (hanp) gene locus.	the scai polymorphic site within the stop codon of the human atrial natriuretic peptides (hanp) gene was investigated in mauritian indian, black african and french caucasian populations. a distinct distribution pattern is observed in these three populations.	1992	1487252
malaria transmission and vector biology on sainte marie island, madagascar.	a 17-mo longitudinal malaria survey (november 1988-march 1990) was carried out on sainte marie island, an area on the east coast of madagascar which is frequently visited by tourists. during 706 man-nights of capture, 46,401 mosquitoes belonging to 32 species were caught. sporozoite rates were determined by elisa and incriminated anopheles gambiae giles s.s., an. funestus giles, and an. mascarensis de meillon as vectors of malaria. an. gambiae, the main vector, was highly anthropophilic but larg ...	1992	1495029
malaria transmission by anopheles subpictus (diptera: culicidae) in a new irrigation project in sri lanka.	indoor resting anopheles subpictus in a new irrigation scheme in sri lanka were investigated during 1989-1990 for malaria infection by dissection and elisa, and human feeding rates by elisa analysis of blood meals. indoor resting abundance was 22.3 females per house per 15-min catch in april-june 1989, 2.2 in november-december 1989, and 7.5 in april-june 1990. elisa-based malaria infection rates (plasmodium vivax and p. falciparum combined) were 1.4% during april-june and 3.2% during november-de ...	1992	1495065
is anopheles mascarensis a new malaria vector in madagascar?	anopheles mascarensis de meillon, 1947, a mosquito that is native to madagascar, is reported for the first time to act as a vector of plasmodium falciparum malaria. from september 1989 to march 1990, 2, 499 an. mascarensis specimens from different regions of madagascar were tested by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa), using monoclonal antibodies against the circumsporozoite (cs) protein of the four human species of plasmodium. the salivary glands of 237 specimens were also dissected. ...	1992	1536380
the natural history of periodontal disease in man: prevalence, severity, and extent of gingival recession.	this paper describes the occurrence and levels of gingival recession in 2 cohorts of individuals participating in parallel longitudinal studies in norway (1969-1988) and sri lanka (1970-1990), covering the age range from 15 to 50 years. in the norwegian cohort gingival recession had begun early in life. it occurred in greater than or equal to 60% of the 20 year-olds and was confined to the buccal surfaces. at 30, greater than or equal to 70% had recession, which still was found mainly on buccal ...	1992	1625148
a genetic marker at the glucokinase gene locus for type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus in mauritian creoles.	the prevalence of type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus is high in mauritius, a multiethnic island nation in the southwestern indian ocean. evaluation of candidate genes in the different ethnic groups represents a means of assessing the genetic component. as glucokinase is known to be a key regulator of glucose homeostasis in liver and pancreatic beta-cells, the human gene was isolated and a dinucleotide repeat (ca)n marker was identified at this locus. a polymerase chain reaction ass ...	1992	1644240
agricultural practices affect arthritis.	it has been suggested that boron deficiency in food may be a cause of some arthritis (newnham 1979). epidemiological studies were done to try to ascertain why some countries have more or less arthritis than other countries. jamaica, mauritius, fiji and israel were visited with a view to ascertaining the boron levels of locally consumed food as it was suspected that excessive use of soluble chemical fertilizers had damaged the soils of the sugar producing lands. food grown on these soils were fou ...	1991	1645463
survey of adult mosquitoes (diptera: culicidae) during irrigation development in the mahaweli project, sri lanka.	a survey of adult mosquitoes was done during 1986-1987 in an area undergoing irrigation development in the mahaweli project of sri lanka. the study encompassed two 12-mo phases of settlement and irrigation, respectively. diurnal human bait catches yielded 1,427 female mosquitoes in 27 species. nocturnal collections (human bait, cdc light traps, indoor resting catches) produced a total of 30,491 females in 67 species. comparisons with an earlier survey in the predevelopment forest showed that the ...	1991	1678784
rift valley fever on the east coast of madagascar.	in march 1990, a rift valley fever virus (rvfv) outbreak was suspected in the district of fenerive on the east coast of madagascar after an abnormally high incidence of abortions and disease in livestock. sera from humans and cattle were tested for rvfv antibodies by immunofluorescence assay (ifa) and elisa-igm capture. sera and mosquitoes collected in the same area were tested for virus isolation by tissue culture and suckling mouse intracerebral inoculation, and for antigen detection by an eli ...	1991	1687082
immune responses against sexual stages of plasmodium vivax during human malarial infections in sri lanka.	during natural infections of p. vivax malaria a variety of immune responses to the infection affect infectivity of the parasites to mosquitoes. sexual stage antigens present in the blood stage parasites induce antibodies which may either enhance or suppress the infectivity of the sexual parasites to mosquitoes. subsequent infections of p. vivax do not, unless occurring within less than 4 months, boost this response indicating a very short immune memory for the relevant antigens. blood infection ...	1991	1688139
[virus manombo (mg ar 966), a provisionally new arbovirus isolated from culicidae in madagascar].	in april 1987, a virus strain was isolated from a pool of mansonia uniformis caught on human bait, in a tropical primary rain forest area of the south-east coast of madagascar. antigenically, this virus may not be related to other known viruses, and constitutes a provisionally new arbovirus called virus manombo.	1991	1688286
[longitudinal study on malaria transmission and biology of vectors in the island of sainte marie, on the east coast of madagascar, from 1988 to 1990].	a 17-month longitudinal malaria survey was carried out in sainte marie island, on the east coast of madagascar, from november 1988 to march 1990. during 706 man-nights of captures, 46401 mosquitoes belonging to 32 species were caught. sporozoïte rates were calculated by elisa. the malaria vectors were anopheles gambiae sensu stricto, an. funestus and an. mascarensis. an. gambiae was the main vector. it was highly anthropophilic and partially exophilic. transmission by this species mainly occurre ...	1991	1688287
a sri lankan man with eosinophilia, wheezing, and cough.		1991	2041965
htlv-i in neurological patients from some indian ocean islands.		1991	2051310
effect of artocarpus heterophyllus and asteracanthus longifolia on glucose tolerance in normal human subjects and in maturity-onset diabetic patients.	investigations were carried out to evaluate the effects of hot-water extracts of artocarpus heterophyllus leaves and asteracanthus longifolia whole plant material on the glucose tolerance of normal human subjects and maturity-onset diabetic patients. the extracts of both artocarpus heterophyllus and asteracanthus longifolia significantly improved glucose tolerance in the normal subjects and the diabetic patients when investigated at oral doses equivalent to 20 g/kg of starting material.	1991	2056756
the natural history and clinical course of calculus formation in man.	this paper describes levels and progression of supra- and subgingival calculus undisturbed by active professional intervention or home care between 1970 and 1985 in sri lanka, or when removed at regular intervals between 1969 and 1988 in norway. in the sri lankan tea laborers, both supra- and subgingival calculus formation started before age 14 years. at 40 years of age, all participants and almost all teeth and tooth surfaces had calculus. tea laborers who both smoked tobacco and chewed betel h ...	1991	2061415
possible rift valley fever outbreak in man and cattle in madagascar.		1991	2068735
[prevalence of antibodies to west nile virus in youngsters from 5 to 20 years old in madagascar].	in 1990 a serological investigation among 3,177 children (5 to 20 years old) sera has been conducted by the pasteur institute of madagascar in several areas of madagascar, in order to evaluate the prevalence of west nile virus antibodies. 29.9% out of human sera tested by elisa for west nile igg antibodies are positive, that shows a rather high level of west nile virus circulation in madagascar. prevalence is increasing with age but no significant difference has been registered among prevalence ...	1991	1764750
a mathematical model for plasmodium vivax malaria transmission: estimation of the impact of transmission-blocking immunity in an endemic area.	we have developed a multi-state mathematical model to describe the transmission of plasmodium vivax malaria; the model accommodates variable transmission-blocking/enhancing immunity during the course of a blood infection, a short memory for boosting immunity, and relapses. using the model, we simulated the incidence of human malaria, sporozoite rates in the vector population, and the level of transmission-blocking immunity for the infected population over a period of time. field data from an epi ...	1991	1786621
[seroepidemiological study of human leptospirosis at reunion island].	in order to evaluate the prevalence of human leptospirosis in reunion island and to identify possible risk factors, a study was realised on a representative population sample of 3.338 persons. the prevalence of leptospirosis, diagnosed by elisa and confirmed by micro agglutination test, was 1.1%. male predominance and higher prevalence in rainy parts of the island, were confirmed. it has not been possible to display risk factors such as housing conditions or professional exercise. the serologica ...	1991	1866480
clustering of malaria infections within an endemic population: risk of malaria associated with the type of housing construction.	the occurrence of malaria infections due to plasmodium vivax and p. falciparum was monitored in a population of 3,023 people living in six contiguous villages in kataragama, an area of endemic malaria in southern sri lanka, over a period of 17 months. the annual incidence of malaria in this population during the study period was 25.8%. malaria attacks were clustered, occurring more frequently than expected in certain individuals and housing groups and less frequently than expected in others. in ...	1991	1867350
anopheline ecology and malaria infection during the irrigation development of an area of the mahaweli project, sri lanka.	a study on adult anopheline ecology and malaria vector incrimination was carried out from 1986 to 1989 during irrigation development in an area of the mahaweli project in eastern sri lanka. eleven potential vector species were collected resting indoors or by using human or bovid bait, and from light trap catches. overall, anopheles vagus (donitz), an. annularis (van der wulp), and an. subpictus (grassi) were the most prevalent, and an. culicifacies (giles) and an. barbirostris (van der wulp) wer ...	1991	1877717