The eosinophilic syndrome

Abstract

Analysis of 200 cases of high eosinophilia (10-20 %) showed that all patients tended to be working in close contact with one another or were members of families in which all were affected. The disease seems to be due to a virus spread by fecal contamination or by mucus droplets. Concomitant high infestation with roundworms was spread through fecal contamination, and had no necessary relationship to the eosinophilia per se. All cases studied came from an isolated tea plantation in North Bengal, and even included the Doctor as well as all ranks of personnel present except the resident manager and his immediate family. These individuals did not come into close contact with the workers and maintained better sanitation around their home than was practiced by the workers.