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[Studies on the possible association between severe neurological syndromes and compulsory vaccination in Milano]
1Istituto di Igiene dell'Università degli Studi di Roma.
Insights
A mysterious neurological illness in Neapolitan children was investigated. Studies found no link to tetanus and diphtheria immunizations, suggesting other causes like Respiratory Syncitial Virus (RSV) may be involved.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Epidemiology
- Infectious Disease
Background:
- A severe neurological syndrome in children, termed "il male oscuro," emerged in Naples.
- Initial suspicions linked the syndrome to tetanus and diphtheria immunizations.
Observation:
- 66 children admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit between June 1978 and February 1979 presented with rapid onset coma or stupor.
- Some cases were potentially associated with Respiratory Syncitial Virus (RSV), possibly due to poor sanitary conditions.
Findings:
- Epidemiological investigations and expert consensus ruled out a link between the syndrome and immunizations.
- Retrospective studies in Genoa, Florence, and Milan, including a study at the University of Milan (1983-1985), found no association between diphtheria-tetanus vaccines and severe neurological illness.
Implications:
- The findings suggest that immunizations are not the cause of this specific pediatric neurological syndrome.
- Further research into environmental factors and infectious agents, such as RSV, is warranted to understand the etiology of such severe neurological conditions in children.
Abstract:
From June 1978 throughout February 1979, 66 children with a mean age of 13 months were admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit in Naples (Santobono Hospital) after a rapid onset of coma or deep stupor of unknown ethiology. The "mystery disease" ("il male oscuro") as somebody in Naples has defined this syndrome, was suspected to be associated with tetanus and diphtheria immunization. Epidemiological investigations and an international symposium of experts agreed not to consider the cases due to immunization. Some of these deaths were related with with Respiratory Syncitial Virus (RSV), evidence which is favored by the poor sanitary situation, evident in many sections of Naples. Although an ad hoc Committee appointed by the Italian Ministry of Health excluded any correlation with immunization, the Ministry of Health invited some Italian groups to carry epidemiological retrospective studies in some Regions of the Country. To obtain comparable results a special protocol was prepared. Two retrospective case-control studies, performed in Genoa and Florence, did not show any association between immunization with anti-diphtheria-tetanus and even anti-poliomyelitis vaccine and severe neurological illness. A retrospective study, performed by us at the Institute of Hygiene of the University of Milan for the years 1983, 1984 and 1985, has included not only the 208 admittances to the only pediatric intensive care unit of Milan (S. Carlo Hospital) but also the other intensive care units of Milan where, sometimes, children are accepted, especially if they were previously admitted to the pediatric wards of the same hospitals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)