Childhood diabetes, epidemics, and epidemiology: an approach for controlling diabetes. World Health Organization DIAMOND Project Group on Epidemics

Abstract

The identification of the environmental factors causing insulin-dependent diabetes in children has remained elusive. However, evidence is rapidly accumulating that childhood diabetes exhibits epidemic patterns, much like that seen with an infectious disease. It is likely that within these epidemics the environmental determinants of disease will be found. Here the authors argue that the development of a surveillance system for early identification of epidemics plus field studies are needed to determine the etiology and mode of transmission of the disease.