With the outbreak of an epidemic neuropathy (EN) of unknown
ethiology, a study of the prevalence and factors associated to
the disease was carried out in the Zamora community,
municipality of Marianao, Havana City. There were 11 patients
identified with EN for a prevalence rate of 1.7/100. The
major risk group was the one between 45 and 64 years of age,
female sex, black skin. In the univaried analysis, a high
prevalence ratio (PR) was found linked to beverage intake
(PR=5.32 95%; confidence intervals (CI) = 1.2-24.4),
frequent drugs intake (PR=6.59; CI=1.8-24.6), consumption of
edible of non certified fats (PR=4.48; CI=1.2-16.7) and the
smoking habit (PR=3.6; CI=1.1-12.2). More than73/100 (CI=
68.7-78.3) of the people under serologic study were infected
with Coxsakie virus A-9 (strain 47) isolated from a patient
still under research. It seems there are many factors like
linder intake, antecedents of hemorrhagic conjuntivitis,
nutritional aspects and others that, with the virus isolated
were associated with this epidemiologic situation.
