Biomaterial Database

[Study of an outbreak of hysteria after hepatitis B vaccination]. 1996

E F Peiró, and J L Yáñez, and I Carramiñana, and J V Rullán, and J Castell

Centro Nacional de Epidemiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo, Madrid.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to describe an epidemic outbreak of mass hysteria among adolescents which occurred after the immunisation with vaccine against hepatitis B and to determine the association with social variables related to the students. METHODS All the available information was evaluated and a questionnaire was designed, which included sociodemographic, clinics and school environment variables. A case-control study was conducted. The data were analyzed and outbreak rate and odds ratio with their respective CI (95%) were calculated. RESULTS 18 cases (among a set of 74 students of seventh of EGB) were clustered in time (10.30-11 h) and space (class of seventh B). There was a clear association between the cases and the female sex (odds ratio = 5.4; CI 95% 1.3 - 23.8). As for the sociological variables there was a association with increasing household members (odds ratio = 5.3; CI 95% 1.3 - 23.4) and with lower educational levels of the father (odds ratio = 10.6; CI 95% 1.2 - 239.9). Among the affected a more unfavorable opinion of the school was detected. CONCLUSIONS This outbreak fulfils 8 of the 11 criteria classically admitted as usual characteristics of a mass psychogenic illness episode. The sensorial transmission remains demonstrated supporting the hypothesis of a chain reaction.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007046	Hysteria	Historical term for a chronic, but fluctuating, disorder beginning in early life and characterized by recurrent and multiple somatic complaints not apparently due to physical illness. This diagnosis is not used in contemporary practice.	Hysterical Neuroses,Neuroses, Hysterical
D008297	Male		Males
D011795	Surveys and Questionnaires	Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions.	Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D004196	Disease Outbreaks	Sudden increase in the incidence of a disease. The concept includes EPIDEMICS and PANDEMICS.	Outbreaks,Infectious Disease Outbreaks,Disease Outbreak,Disease Outbreak, Infectious,Disease Outbreaks, Infectious,Infectious Disease Outbreak,Outbreak, Disease,Outbreak, Infectious Disease,Outbreaks, Disease,Outbreaks, Infectious Disease
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000293	Adolescent	A person 13 to 18 years of age.	Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths
D000367	Age Factors	Age as a constituent element or influence contributing to the production of a result. It may be applicable to the cause or the effect of a circumstance. It is used with human or animal concepts but should be differentiated from AGING, a physiological process, and TIME FACTORS which refers only to the passage of time.	Age Reporting,Age Factor,Factor, Age,Factors, Age
D012737	Sex Factors	Maleness or femaleness as a constituent element or influence contributing to the production of a result. It may be applicable to the cause or effect of a circumstance. It is used with human or animal concepts but should be differentiated from SEX CHARACTERISTICS, anatomical or physiological manifestations of sex, and from SEX DISTRIBUTION, the number of males and females in given circumstances.	Factor, Sex,Factors, Sex,Sex Factor
D012959	Socioeconomic Factors	Social and economic factors that characterize the individual or group within the social structure.	Economic and Social Factors,Social Inequalities,Social Inequality,Social and Economic Factors,Socioeconomic Characteristics,Factors, Socioeconomic,High-Income Population,Land Tenure,Standard of Living,Characteristic, Socioeconomic,Factor, Socioeconomic,High Income Population,High-Income Populations,Inequality, Social,Living Standard,Living Standards,Population, High-Income,Socioeconomic Characteristic,Socioeconomic Factor,Tenure, Land