Mortality Risk Factors for Pandemic Influenza on New Zealand Troop Ship, 1918

摘要

We describe the epidemiology and risk factors for death in an outbreak of pandemic in. uenza on a troop ship. Mor-tality and descriptive data for military personnel on His Maj-esty's New Zealand Transport troop ship Tahiti in July 1918 were analyzed, along with archival information. Mortality risk was increased among persons 25–34 years of age. Ac-commodations in cabins rather than sleeping in hammocks in other areas were also associated with increased mortal-ity risk (rate ratio 4.28, 95% confi dence interval 2.69–6.81). Assignment to a particular military unit, the fi eld artillery (probably housed in cabins), also made a signifi cant differ-ence (adjusted odds ratio in logistic regression 3.04, 95% confi dence interval 1.59–5.82). There were no signifi cant differences by assigned rurality (rural residence) or socio-economic status. Results suggest that the virulent nature of the 1918 in. uenza strain, a crowded environment, and inad-equate isolation measures contributed to the high in. uenza mortality rate onboard this ship