Infectious disease mortality in British merchant seamen and Lascars since 1900: From causes to controls

Abstract

Trends in mortality rates from infectious disease in seamen employed in British merchant shipping have been compared with those in the Royal Navy and with the onshore male working-age British population. Merchant seamen, and in particular those recruited from Asia (Lascars), had higher mortality rates than men in the navy and in the population ashore. Mortality declined progressively between 1900 and 1960, thereafter it was negligible; the decline was slowest for merchant seamen. The reasons for the high mortality from infectious diseases in merchant seamen are investigated. Some preventative measures, such as vaccination for smallpox, were not universal in merchant seamen. Improvements prior to the 1940s can be attributed to reduced infection risks in foreign ports; improvements in food, accommodation and hygiene standards, and better control of arthropod vectors in port and on board. The rapid subsequent decline can be attributed to the introduction of antibacterial medications and antibiotics.