Australian encephalitis in Western Australia, 1978-1991.

Objective: To review the various clinical manifestations of Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE) or Kunjin virus encephalitis in patients in Western Australia.

Design: Review of clinical records, 1978 to 1991.

Patients: Of 26 reported cases of Australian encephalitis, four were excluded from study because the patient's symptoms were not definitely associated with MVE virus or Kunjin virus infection.

The distribution of antibodies to HHV-6 compared with other herpesviruses in young children.

Sera from 141 infants aged 0-12 months were examined for IgG antibodies to HHV-6, HSV, CMV, VZV and EBV and for HHV-6 specific IgM. Following the decline in maternal antibody, antibody to HHV-6 was found to rise by 5-6 months and approached the level found in adults by 11-12 months. In contrast the antibody rates for the other herpesviruses were much slower to rise, especially in the case of CMV and EBV.

Markers of hepatitis B virus infection in schoolchildren in the Kimberley, Western Australia.

In 1986 the Aboriginal community in Western Australia was identified as a high-risk group for hepatitis B virus infection. An immunization programme was commenced in 1988 but concerns were expressed about horizontal transmission, especially in schools, to the low-risk Caucasian group and whether they should also be included in the vaccination programme. To estimate the extent of this occurrence, a survey of schoolchildren from two district high schools in Broome and Derby in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia was carried out in March 1989.

Serum antibodies to human enteric coronavirus-like particles in Australia, South Africa, Indonesia, Niue, and Papua New Guinea.

Relatively high levels of antibody to human enteric coronavirus-like particles were detected in the sera from rural Aborigines in Australia. Levels were generally much lower in the sera from urban Aborigines, and extremely low to not detectable in the sera from Europeans. Antibody to coronavirus-like particles was also detected in the sera from rural blacks from South Africa, in the sera from Indonesia and Niue, and also possibly in the sera from rural villagers from Papua New Guinea, but in the latter case at only very low level.