SUDDEN UNEXPECTED NOCTURNAL DEATHS AMONG THAI IMMIGRANT WORKERS IN SINGAPORE - THE POSSIBLE ROLE OF TOXIGENIC BACTERIA

Sudden Unexpected Nocturnal Deaths (SUND) occur in young, apparently h ealthy immigrant workers from Thailand, the Philippines and Bangladesh living among ex-patriot labour forces in countries such as Singapore and Saudi Arabia. Several factors associated with these deaths are sim ilar to those observed for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS): sleep related and mainly noturnal occurrence; no prodromal illnesses other t han mild respiratory tract infection; exposure to cigarette smoke; abs ence of invasive microorganism at autopsy. The hypotheses proposed to explain these deaths in adults are examined. Based on our studies of t he role toxigenic bacteria might play in some cases of SIDS, we sugges t a new approach to the investigation of SUND.