Outbreak of beriberi among illegal mainland Chinese immigrants at a detention center in Taiwan.
OBJECTIVE
The authors describe an outbreak of beriberi in a detention center in Taiwan and examine risk factors for illness.


METHODS
A survey was conducted among a sample of 176 randomly selected detainees. A menu-assisted dietary recall method was used to obtain diet information from nine hospitalized detainees. A probable case patient was defined as an individual who had at least two of the following characteristics: leg edema, weakness of the extremities, poor appetite, and dyspnea. Possible case patients were those who had only one of these characteristics.


RESULTS
Of the 176 survey respondents, 19% were classified as probable case patients and 40% as possible case patients. The mortality rate based on probable cases was 1.1%. Body Mass Index (BMI) was negatively associated with illness (p < 0.0001), and length of stay in the detention center was independently positively associated with illness (p < 0.05). The average intake of dietary thiamine among the nine hospitalized case patients who completed three-day dietary recall surveys was 0.49 +/- 0.1 mg/day. After thiamine administration, all symptoms and signs of beriberi resolved.


CONCLUSIONS
This outbreak is a reminder of the importance of ensuring adequate diets for poor, institutionalized, or refugee populations who are unable to supplement their diets.
Chen
Kow-Tong
KT
Field Epidemiology Training Program, Center for Disease Control, Department of Health, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Twu
Shiing-Jer
SJ
Chiou
Shu-Ti
ST
Pan
Wen-Harn
WH
Chang
Hong-Jen
HJ
Serdula
Mary K
MK
D001602:Beriberi / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D004032:Diet; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D006306:Health Surveys; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007326:Institutionalization; D011939:Mental Recall; D012307:Risk Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D013831:Thiamine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014171:Transients and Migrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D013831:Thiamine