Notes on the effect of measles and measles vaccine in a virgin-soil population of South American Indians.

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Am J Epidemiol 1970 Apr;91(4):418-29 Related Articles, Help

Notes on the effect of measles and measles vaccine in a virgin-soil population of South American Indians.

Neel JV, Centerwall WR, Chagnon NA, Casey HL.
 
From the article: The impact of measles on a primitive population is well known.  It seems to have been generally assumed that this is a result of a greater "constitutional" susceptibility.  However, in 1877 Squire (1) describing the collapse of village life during an epidemic of measles in Fiji, clearly presented a contrary view: "Excessive mortality resulted from terror at the mysterious seizure, and the want of commonest aids during illness; there were none to offer drink during the fever, nor food on it subsidence.  Thousands were carried off for want of nourishment and care as well as by dysentery and congestion of the lungs.  We need to invoke no special susceptibility of race or peculiarity of constitution to explain great mortality."

PMID: 4192799 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Date: 
January 1, 2003