Background Several authors have documented the problem of sex offenders and abusers with intellectual disability. With the advent of community care policies, alternative systems for treatment and management are needed to deal with the problems associated with this client group. The current paper describes such a service which attempts to maintain clients' community placements. Methods A database was set up drawing on information from a wide variety of professions. Data are reported on 62 sex offenders and abusers with intellectual disability. Results Information is reported on age, IQ, mental illness, medication, referral characteristics, current and previous sexual offending, forensic status and the range of problems identified during assessment. Re-offending data are reported up to 4 years following discharge. Reoffending rates increase from 4% after 1 year to 21% after 4 years. Unplanned discharge was significantly associated with re-offending. Conclusions It is possible to set up a relatively cost-effective community service for sex offenders with intellectual disability. In terms of re-offending, the outcomes for this service are favourable when compared to the outcomes for alternative disposals reported in the literature.
BackgroundWest Nile virus (WNV) infection is asymptomatic in most individuals, with a minority developing symptoms ranging from WNV fever to serious neuroinvasive disease. This study investigated the impact of host HLA on the outcome of WNV disease.MethodsA cohort of 210 non-Hispanic mostly white WNV+ subjects from Canada and the U.S. were typed for HLA-A, B, C, DP, DQ, and DR. The study subjects were divided into three WNV infection outcome groups: asymptomatic (AS), symptomatic (S), and neuroinvasive disease (ND). Allele frequency distribution was compared pair-wise between the AS, S, and ND groups using χ2 and Fisher's exact tests and P values were corrected for multiple comparisons (Pc). Allele frequencies were compared between the groups and the North American population (NA) used as a control group. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the potential synergistic effect of age and HLA allele phenotype on disease outcome.ResultsThe alleles HLA-A*68, C*08 and DQB*05 were more frequently associated with severe outcomes (ND vs. AS, P
A*68 = 0.013/Pc = 0.26, P
C*08 = 0.0075/Pc = 0.064, and P
DQB1*05 = 0.029/Pc = 0.68), However the apparent DQB1*05 association was driven by age. The alleles HLA-B*40 and C*03 were more frequently associated with asymptomatic outcome (AS vs. S, P
B*40 = 0.021/Pc = 0.58 and AS vs. ND P
C*03 = 0.039/Pc = 0.64) and their frequencies were lower within WNV+ subjects with neuroinvasive disease than within the North American population (NA vs. S, P
B*40 = 0.029 and NA vs. ND, P
C*03 = 0.032).ConclusionsHost HLA may be associated with the outcome of WNV disease; HLA-A*68 and C*08 might function as “susceptible” alleles, whereas HLA-B*40 and C*03 might function as “protective” alleles.
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