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PubMed2001

Plasma cardiolipin in postmenopausal women in mauritius.

Data concerning the relationship between anti-cardiolipin antibodies and several diseases including myocardial infarction are not readily available for Mauritius. Anticardiolipin antibodies were measured using commercially available ELISA kits. Haematological profiles were measured using a Coulter Counter in the study population. Our study revealed significantly higher IgG and IgA levels as well as a strong correlation between decreased platelet levels and increased anticardiolipin status in the women during postmenopause. It is concluded that abnormal cardiolipin level could be an important risk factor for cardiovascular accidents among postmenopausal women in Mauritius.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed1992

[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 remains very low and the transmission of the disease is sporadic except in three foci. Its occurrence is not linked with agriculture or irrigation but is closely related to other man/water contacts in the rivers. Without clinical significant signs, the disease, quite different of the historic description, is largely underestimate. The snail is well adapted to the climatic conditions on Mauritius with a remarkably resistance to long drought periods. In fact, distribution of snail and evolution of population size fluctuate dramatically. Canalization and drainage of rivers, streams and marches since the beginning of malaria outbreak, widespread use of pesticides during the antimalaria spraying campaigns, only overhead irrigation, permanent maintenance of the lined canal system, induced many ecological constraints to possible snail habitats. Without animal reservoir of infection, control of urinary schistosomiasis or even its eradication looks feasible through a large school case-finding eventually associated with mollusciciding activities in the main foci.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Prevalence of HLA-B27 among donors and recipients for renal and bone marrow transplantation in Mauritius.

In this study, the frequency of the tissue antigen HLA-B27 is studied in 494 donors and recipients for renal and bone marrow transplantation on the multi-ethnic island of Mauritius, the majority of the population of which is of Indian descent. Although results showed a prevalence rate of 4.3%, inter-racial variation was not observed between the major ethnic groups (P>0.05). These findings are comparable with the results of studies on HLA-B27 prevalence rate in India, and lend support to the argument that the HLA-B27 test should not be used on a routine basis to diagnose HLA-B27-related rheumatic disorders in Mauritius.

Bone Marrow Transplantation↗

PubMed1981

Huntington's chorea on the island of Mauritius.

The prevalence of Huntington's chorea in the population of European descent on the island of Mauritius is 1 in 2 166. All affected persons on the island are related and probably descend from a common ancestor who emigrated from France around 1800. In view of the large number of persons at risk, Huntington's chorea has important medical and social implications for the inhabitants of Mauritius.

Female↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Education in public health in Mauritius. Presentation of an experience].

In December 1991, fourteen physicians in the public sector received a degree entitled "Methods in public health", awarded by the dean of Université de Bordeaux II (France) and the Mauritius minister of health. The ceremony crowned a two-year course consisting of 350 hours of lectures and other teaching exercises, broken down into 12 subject areas (epidemiology, biostatistics, medical informatics, demographics, health care, planning, health economics, etc.). The graduates did an average of 10 year's field work in a primary health care center. The degree was awarded after completion of a mini-thesis based on an original study of a selected Mauritian public health problem. In 1992 and 1993, a new, shorter course in community health was offered to other Mauritian physicians by staff from Université de Bordeaux II. We consider that such initiatives would be profitable in other countries like Mauritius, where commonly encountered health care problems of the developing countries coexist with those found in the industrialized world. This will also be an important initiative in countries where initial training in various contexts and therefore can benefit from a common continuing medical education, particularly in public health. One key factor in the success of such projects is their full integration within the medical sciences.

Curriculum↗

PubMed1998

[Incidence of cancer in Mauritius in 1989-1993].

Systematic registration of cases of cancer was introduced in Mauritius as of 1989. This article analyzes the data concerning the incidence and mortality of the disease from 1989 to 1993. At the end of each year, the archives of the Central Laboratory of Hospitals, the admissions register at the only center for radiotherapy, the discharge résumés of patients classified as suffering from cancer of all the regional hospitals and the archives of the Medical Assistance Service regarding treatment abroad were examined and information drawn from them in order to fill out the information form of the cancer register (10 items per case). For the period studied, 4293 new cases of cancer were detected of which 1784 (41.6%) among men. The main organs affected were, for men: the lungs (12%), the mouth/pharynx (10%), and the stomach (8%); for women: the breast (24%), the cervix (21%), and the ovaries (6%). The incidence of cancer has increased at an annual average of 8% for both sexes, reaching in 1993 the standard (world) incidence of respectively 106 and 122 cases per 100,000. Over the same period, cancer rose to 2nd to 3rd place in causes of death, accounting for approximately 8 to 9% of deaths. The ratio of mortality/incidence is 0.85 among men and 0.58 among women. The distribution of cancer according to age, location and ethnic group points to interesting and significant results which can be subsequently compared to that of other countries in the region. The second phase of registering cancer in Mauritius is presently being undertaken.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

A multi-center study in order to further define the molecular basis of beta-thalassemia in Thailand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Syria, and India, and to develop a simple molecular diagnostic strategy by amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction.

The spectrum of the beta-thalassemia mutations of Thailand, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and Syria has been further characterized by a multi-center study of 1,235 transfusion-dependent patients, and the mutations discovered used to assess the fidelity of a simple diagnostic strategy. A total of 44 beta-thalassemia mutations were identified either by allele-specific oligonucleotide hybridization, amplification with allele-specific primers, or DNA sequencing of amplified product. The results confirm and extend earlier findings for Thailand, Pakistan, India, Mauritius and Syria. This is the first detailed report of the spectrum of mutations for Sri Lanka. Two novel mutations were identified, codon 55 (-A) and IVS-I-129 (A-->C), both found in Sri Lankan patients. Two beta-thalassemia mutations were found to coexist in one beta-globin gene: Sri Lankan patients homozygous for the beta0 codon 16 (-C) frameshift were also homozygous for the beta+ codon 10 (C-->A) mutation. Studies of Sri Lankan, Pakistani, and Indian carriers suggest the codon 10 (C-->A) mutation is just a rare polymorphism on an ancestral allele, on which the beta0 codon 16 (-C) mutation has arisen. Each country was found to have only a few common mutations accounting for 70% or more of the beta-thalassemia alleles. A panel of primers to diagnose the majority of the mutations by the amplification refractory mutation system was developed, enabling a simple molecular diagnostic strategy to be introduced for each country participating in the multi-center study.

Asia↗

PubMed2000

[Application of cost-effectiveness analysis of health care interventions in developing countries. A case study in Mauritius].

OBJECTIVE: Cost-effectiveness analysis is a tool to help inform the decision maker of efficient allocation of scarce health care resources and its application has increased in developing countries during the past decade. There are, however, a variety of different approaches used to calculate cost-effectiveness ratios, given the range and the controversies surrounding the use of some components of total cost, depending on the constraints faced by various decision-making bodies. This study is an investigation of cost-effectiveness of both currently delivered and prospective health interventions in Mauritius to set priorities and assess allocative efficiency by taking into account such constraints. METHODS: Resource use and unit cost data were collected from the representative health facilities and the Ministry of Health to estimate costs of each health intervention per person. Effectiveness of each intervention was estimated from the results of the national burden of disease study and the efficacy database compiled for this exercise. Several types of cost-effectiveness were calculated for each intervention according to its characteristics and the constraints imposed by the existing infrastructures and other health interventions. RESULTS: Cost-effectiveness ratios with and without the decision maker's constraints differed significantly. Infrastructure-constrained average cost-effectiveness of thirteen currently delivered and twenty one prospective interventions ranged from $127 to $92,949 and from $77 to $66,302 per DALY averted, respectively. Incremental cost-effectiveness of the prospective interventions was from $83 to $70,553. Among the currently delivered interventions, those for perinatal disorders, mental illness, and ischemic heart disease were particularly less cost-effective than the prospective interventions. Sensitivity analysis of both effectiveness and discount rates did not change the cost-effectiveness ranking significantly. CONCLUSION: The present study showed that cost-effectiveness ratios differ significantly depending on the decision maker's constraints and that an interpretation of each cost-effectiveness study should be made with great caution when implementing its results in practice. Both average cost-effectiveness of the currently delivered interventions and incremental cost-effectiveness of the prospective interventions suggest that there is an allocative inefficiency among the currently delivered health interventions in Mauritius and a possibility of enhancing allocative efficiency through introducing alternative interventions.

Cost-Benefit Analysis↗

PubMed2006

Screening of traditional antidiabetic medicinal plants of Mauritius for possible alpha-amylase inhibitory effects in vitro.

In this study, seven exotic/indigenous medicinal plants of Mauritius, namely Coix lacryma-jobi (Poaceae), Aegle marmelos (Rutaceae), Artocarpus heterophyllus (Moraceae), Vangueria madagascariensis (Rubiaceae), Azadirachta indica (Meliaceae), Eriobotrya japonica (Rosaceae) and Syzigium cumini (Myrtaceae) were studied for possible effects on starch breakdown by alpha-amylase in vitro. The results showed that only Artocarpus heterophyllus significantly (p < 0.05) inhibited alpha-amylase activity in vitro. To confirm the observed effects, a further biochemical assay was undertaken to investigate the effects of Artocarpus heterophyllus on alpha-amylase activity using rat plasma in vitro. It was found that the aqueous leaf extract significantly (p < 0.05) inhibited alpha-amylase activity in rat plasma. The highest inhibitory activity (27.20 +/- 5.00%) was observed at a concentration of 1000 microg/mL. However, in both cases dose dependency was not observed. Enzyme kinetic studies using the Michaelis-Menten and Lineweaver-Burk equations were performed to establish the type of inhibition involved. In the presence of the plant extract the maximal velocity (Vmax) remained constant (1/150 g / L/s) whereas the Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) increased by 5.79 g / L, indicating that the aqueous leaf extract of Artocarpus heterophyllus behaved as a competitive inhibitor. Results from the present study tend to indicate that Artocarpus heterophyllus could act as a 'starch blocker' thereby reducing post-prandial glucose peaks.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1Burin from Mauritius: a novel MEN1 mutation.

We describe a kindred from Mauritius with an incomplete variant of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN 1Burin). In this family the syndrome is related to a novel MEN 1 gene mutation (deletion of A) at nucleotide 1021 of codon 304 resulting in frame shift and downstream protein truncation at codon 320. Compared to mainstream MEN 1, MEN 1Burin is characterized by a high prevalence of prolactin-secreting pituitary adenomas, late-onset of hyperparathyroidism and rare pancreatic involvement. The family described represents the fifth in the literature with the MEN 1 Burin phenotype; 2 out of the other 4 were related to R460X, Y312X respectively and no mutation within the coding sequence of MEN 1 was found in the other 2. Thus, similar to the classic syndrome, MEN 1Burin phenotype shows poor correlation to MEN 1 genotype.

Adenoma↗

PubMed1993

Serum insulin distributions and reproducibility of the relationship between 2-hour insulin and plasma glucose levels in Asian Indian, Creole, and Chinese Mauritians. Mauritius NCD Study Group.

The relationship of 2-hour (post-75 g oral glucose) serum insulin levels with plasma glucose levels was studied in a population-based random sample comprising 2,627 Hindu Indians, 685 Muslim Indians, 1,351 Creoles (African, European, and Indian admixture), and 415 Chinese from the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius. Known diabetic subjects taking oral hypoglycemic drugs or insulin were excluded from these analyses; 64% of all diabetic subjects had usable glucose and insulin data. Both fasting and 2-hour postload insulin levels were significantly higher in women than in men, and levels in both sexes were significantly greater in Hindu and Muslim Indian subjects than in Creoles or Chinese even after controlling for differences in age, body mass index (BMI), waist to hip ratio (WHR), and plasma glucose level. Levels in Muslims were higher than those in Hindus; it was unclear whether these ethnic differences represented hereditary or unmeasured environmental factors closely associated with ethnicity. All four ethnic groups demonstrated similar inverted U- or V-shaped curves when 2-hour insulin was plotted against either basal or 2-hour glucose. Both quadratic (U) and two-piece (V) regression models improved over linear models for 2-hour insulin versus either fasting or 2-hour glucose in all ethnic groups, although in statistical terms they were good models only for the 2-hour glucose comparison. The two-piece models were associated with modest increases in R2 compared with the quadratic models, but it was not possible to precisely determine optimal turning points with either model. However, in all ethnic groups, 2-hour insulin levels decreased above glucose levels of 7.1 to 7.8 (fasting) and 11.3 to 13.5 mmol/L (2-hour) in quadratic models, and 7.5 to 9.5 (fasting) and 8.5 to 10.5 mmol/L (2-hour) in two-piece models. The shape and point of inflection of the quadratic and two-piece curves were influenced little by gender, obesity, fat distribution, and physical activity. These results are in accord with those observed in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies in other ethnic groups, and support the generality of the plasma glucose levels currently used to define diabetes mellitus, which physiologically correspond with a decrease in beta-cell responsiveness to glucose. Asian Indians appear to have an ethnic propensity to hyperinsulinemia that is not explained by obesity or adverse fat distribution.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Initial study of periodontal status in non-insulin-dependent diabetics in Mauritius.

OBJECTIVES: Investigation of Mauritian non-insulin diabetic periodontal health. METHODS: In Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius, 24 patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus were matched by age with 24 controls. Because matching was incomplete for gender and race, the groups were treated as independent for data analysis. Operator-blind scores were recorded for the presence of plaque, bleeding on probing, probing depth, recession and probing attachment level. RESULTS: When variations in plaque and age were taken into account, there was a significant difference in probing attachment level between the groups (diabetic mean = 4.16 mm, control mean = 3.09 mm), and an effect of gender on gingival bleeding which may relate to tobacco smoking. CONCLUSION: In an isolated community with a 13% prevalence of NIDDM, this study confirms previous periodontal findings regarding the effect of the disease.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Medicalethnobotany of some weeds of Mauritius and Rodrigues.

The people of Mauritius and Rodrigues have always used medicinal plants for various ailments, and have for a long time been dependent on surrounding plant resources for their food, shelter, fodder, health care and other cultural purposes. However, encroaching industrialization and the accompanying changes in their lifestyles are responsible for the decrease of practice in the local use of plants for medicine. It is, therefore, felt worthwhile to record the native uses of these plants before the information is lost. The present paper deals with the medicalethnobotany of 53 genera and 94 different species of plants considered as weeds.

Botany↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Factors associated with impaired vibration perception in Mauritians with normal and abnormal glucose tolerance. Mauritius NCD Study Group.

Vibration perception threshold (VPT) was measured in 1185 Indian, Creole, and Chinese men and women in Mauritius, where the current prevalence of diabetes mellitus in adults aged 25-74 years is estimated to be 13%. Vibration perception threshold was measured using a biothesiometer, at seven sites in the hand, wrist, foot, and ankle, during a population survey in 76% of 574 known diabetic patients (KDM), 79% of 525 newly diagnosed diabetic patients (NDM), 18% of 1121 subjects with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and in 127 normal subjects. The association of VPT with glucose tolerance and other risk factors was assessed in order to identify individuals most at risk of foot ulceration and to determine whether risk factors and normal levels for VPT in these ethnic groups were consistent with those reported for Caucasians. After adjusting for age and height, geometric mean VPT at six of seven sites increased significantly with worsening glucose tolerance and increasing duration of diabetes in both men and women, VPT also increased significantly with level of fasting plasma glucose in men, but not women. Smoking and alcohol consumption had no effect on VPT, and body-mass index (BMI) was positively associated only at some sites. Chinese subjects had lower VPTs than Indians or Creoles. In multiple linear regression models, age, male gender, duration of diabetes, ethnic group, and height (lower extremity sites) were significantly associated with VPT among diabetic subjects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Hematological and gill histopathological parameters of three tropical fish species from a polluted lagoon on the west coast of Mauritius.

Gill histopathology and hematological primary indices, including blood delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (deltaALA-D) activity and nucleocytoplasmic ratio of erythrocytes, were assessed in three tropical marine fish species, Scarus ghobban, Epinephelus merra, and Siganus sutor, from the presumably contaminated lagoon of Bain des Dames, Mauritius. Concurrently, the nonpolluted region of Blue Bay/Pt d'Esny was used as a reference site for comparison of fish physiological responses and seawater quality. Bain des Dames showed high seawater mercury content (6.4+/-0.5 microg/L), traces of iron (70+/-40 microg/L), and fluctuating biochemical oxygen demand values (0.488+/-0.171 mg/L day(-1)). Gill histopathological analysis revealed lesions such as epithelial hyperplasia and inflammation. Similarly, a generalized increase in blood deltaALA-D activity (131.27-355.76 nmol PBG/ml RBC.h) was recorded. Fish from Bain des Dames showed species-specific hematological responses including normocytic macrocytic blood cells (S. ghobban), macrocytic anemia (S. sutor), and active erythropoiesis (E. merra). Though the species displayed impaired health, attributed to changes in water quality, the blood responses seemingly indicate adaptation to hypoxic conditions arising from both gill degradation and perhaps oxygen-level fluctuations.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

PubMed2002

Determination of lead, chromium and zinc in sediments from an urbanized river in Mauritius.

The mean concentration of Cr (105 +/- 30 mg kg(-1)), Zn (167 +/- 30 mg kg(-1)) and Pb (14 +/- 7 mg kg(-1)) in the sediments along St. Louis River situated in an urbanized and industrialized area in Mauritius were well below the limits of 600, 2500 and 700 mg kg(-1) quoted for contaminated sediments adopted from the draft standards (24% clay and 10% organic matter by weight) from the Netherlands [Van Veen RJ, Stortelder PBM. Research on contaminated sediments in the Netherlands. In: Wolf K, Van de Brink WJ, Colon FJ, editors. Contaminated soil. Academic Publisher, 1998. p. 1263-1275.]. Industrial contamination appeared to undergo rapid dilution in the estuary as Cr had high levels near point sources from industries, but decreased rapidly in amount in the estuary possibly because of dilution by other sediments. The significant levels of Zn in sediments from upstream to the estuary suggest that the potential sources could be from the adjacent motorway and road runoff causing significant quantities to be trapped within the St. Louis River. Pb was two folds higher in the sediments in the estuary of St. Louis River compared to upstream and downstream indicating accumulation of Pb in estuarine sediments, which could be released continuously into the lagoon. The potential sources of Pb in sediments from upstream to the estuary were from the adjacent motorway and road runoff causing significant quantities to be trapped within the St. Louis River. Pb and Zn were significantly positively correlated in the sediments along St. Louis River indicating a common source for Pb and Zn. Significant negative correlations were also found for both Pb and Zn with dissolved oxygen in summer along St. Louis River which indicated that the presence of anoxic waters influenced the trapping of Zn and Pb in the sediment phase. This study has also highlighted that a phasedown of Pb in petrol is necessary and with the introduction of unleaded petrol and vehicles equipped with catalytic converters, studies on levels of Pd and Pt to provide baseline data need to be done in the near future and integrated in environmental development schemes and effective coastal zone management of small island states.

Chromium↗

PubMed2003

Epidemiology of preeclampsia in Mauritius island.

In Mauritius, the maternal mortality rate (MMR) was 21 per 100000 live births for the year 2001 and this is comparable with figures from developed countries. There has been poor documentation in the area of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy until recently in the island. Consequently, we analysed data from the Ministry of Health. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy occurred in 6.7% gravidas in 2001. Out of four maternal deaths recorded in 2001, two occurred due to severe eclampsia. In the second part of our study, we scrutinised also the obstetric notes and interviewed 862 hospitalised women from four main hospitals of the island between 1995 and 1997. The majority of women were affected by non-proteinuric hypertension (70%), followed by preeclampsia (24%) and chronic hypertension (6%). Preeclamptic primi and multigravidas developed the condition earlier and also gave birth to growth-retarded babies. Highly significant results supported the relationship between growth retardation and preeclampsia in different parities, irrespective of the length of exposure of the baby in utero. Preeclampsia affects both Indo-Mauritians and Creoles to the same extent, but the latter are much more prone to gestational hypertension. In addition, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are more a problem of multigravid women in Creoles while they are more classically a condition of primigravidae in Indians.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1996

Schizotypy and maternal exposure to influenza and to cold temperature: the Mauritius study.

A topic of current controversy is that maternal exposure to influenza in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy may place the offspring at increased risk for schizophrenia. However, exposure to cold and to influenza may be confounded in existing studies, and case finding and identification may introduce error. Use of measures of schizotypy that are dimensional may be used to overcome some of the difficulties of case identification. Data are derived from the longitudinal study in Mauritius, an island in the southern hemisphere, where, in the case of the 1968-1972 Hong Kong/A2 influenza virus epidemic, influenza and low temperature were not confounded. The results suggest that women's exposure to influenza in pregnancy is associated with an elevation of positive schizotypy scores, whereas exposure to low environmental temperatures is associated with an elevation of anhedonia scores in their offspring.

Adolescent↗