Outbreak of Japanese encephalitis on the island of Saipan, 1990.

This was a study of the possible causes of an outbreak of encephalitis on Saipan in October 1990. The virus was not isolated but patients seroconverted to Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus, suggesting the first known outbreak of the disease on American territory since 1947. Ten cases were found in a population of 40,000. In a survey after the outbreak, the prevalence of antibody to JE virus was 4.2% among 234 native Saipan residents. Risk factors for infection were age, crowded living conditions and lack of air conditioning.

The feasibility of using a double blind experimental cross-over design to study interventions for sick building syndrome.

The study of the causes of Sick Building Syndrome and its possible solutions have been bedevilled by methodological problems. This pilot study assessed the viability of using an expermental double blind cross-over study to overcome such difficulties. The experiment involved varying the rate of supply of outdoor air from 10 cubic feet per minute per person (cfmpp) to 20 cfmpp or 50 cfmpp by controlling the building's heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems.

Air conditioning and health: effect on pulse and blood pressure of young healthy Nigerians.

This research studies the effects of air conditioning on blood pressure and the heart rate. It is based on studying the blood pressure and pulse of 32 young healthy Nigerian volunteers after they had been in an air-conditioned room from between 60 and 90 minutes. The same measurements were made under the same conditions with the air-conditioning switched off. The mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) was 115.3 +/- 11.5 mm Hg with air conditioning (AC) and 108.5 +/- 10.1 mm Hg without air conditioning. This difference was statistically significant.

Influence of indoor climate on the sick building syndrome in an office environment.

The role of indoor climate factors on symptoms of the sick building syndrome was studied in Copenhagen, Denmark. Altogether, 2369 office workers completed questionnaires in 14 buildings, whose indoor climate was measured. The results were subjected to multivariate logistic regression analyses of the multifactorial effects on the prevalence of work-related mucosal irritation and work-related general symptoms among the office workers.

Work-related illness in offices: a proposed model of the "sick building syndrome".

This study was based on a nationwide survey of 4373 workers at 47 offices to determine the incidence of sick building syndrome and to study associated factors. The buildings had a variety of ventilation systems - natural, mechanical, forced air, air conditioning or comfort cooling. Comfort cooling systems included fan-coil, induction, and constant or variable air volume systems.

Building sickness, are symptoms related to the office lighting?

Describes the results of a questionnaire to find out if office lighting could be a factor in the production of sick building syndrome. There was found to be a significantly higher prevalence of work-related headache and work-related lethargy in the air conditioned building than in the naturally ventilated one studied. There was also less daylight and lower mean luminance in this building.

Evidence of a relationship between office design and self-reports of ill health among office workers in the United Kingdom.

Compares self reported health problems of employees in air conditioned open plan, non air conditioned open plan and conventional offices. The results showed overall that there is a significantly higher incidence of reported headaches among staff working in open plan offices compared with those in conventional offices. Problems of eye irritation and URT complaints are found to be most common among staff in open plan offices, but only when they are air conditioned and have poor daylight penetration. Women are the chief complainants. The problems are not strongly age dependent.

Hyperpyrexia due to air conditioning failure in a nursing home.

States that heat stress decreases the chance of survival for the elderly and sick. Cites examples of an eightfold increase in expected mortality for persons over 85 years and threefold for those 50-54 years old. Suggests that chronic degenerative disease in the elderly, certain therapeutic drugs and lack of acclimatization are additional risk factors.

Heat wave mortality in nursing homes.

In order to determine the impact of heat waves on nursing home occupants and the efficacy of air conditioning in reducing them, a study investigated patterns of mortality in eleven air conditioned and nine un-air conditioned nursing homes in New York City. On the basis of the findings, recommends that nursing homes and other institutions for the elderly located in climates like that of New York City be required to provide air conditioning.

Building sickness syndrome in healthy and unhealthy buildings: an epidemiological and environmental assessment with cluster analysis.

Describes a study which was aimed at investigating whether relations between symptoms of sick building syndrome and measured environmental factors existed within state of the art air conditioned buildings with satisfactory maintenance programmes expected to provide a healthy indoor environment. Studied five buildings, using a questionnaire followed by a detailed environmental survey.

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