No link found in three unexplained deaths
01 March 2004

The sudden and unexplained deaths of three Dunedin people last year is unlikely to have been linked to a common environmental or infectious cause, a team researching the deaths has found.


Public health authorities went on a full-alert last August when three Dunedin people died suddenly and unexpectedly as a result of haemorrhages in their lungs.

Since then, researchers at the University of Otago have been working to determine the cause, but are only able to say what did not kill the victims, rather than what did.

Vincinte (Vince) Keith Rawson (42), Robyn Margaret Campbell (56) and Julie Margaret Milan (also known as Julie King) (46) died within 10 days of one another. The three lived in neighbouring suburbs.

Dr Lianne Parkin co-ordinated the epidemiological investigation into the cause of the deaths and was charged with finding links between the victims.

In a report published in the university's Otago Magazine, Dr Parkin has concluded common infectious or environmental causes were unlikely to be responsible for the deaths.

Instead, she expected a combination of factors was the likely cause, the report says.

No direct links between the victims were found and time without any further cases, added weight to her theory.

In conducting her research, Dr Parkin drew up a questionnaire for the families of the three victims to try and identify risk factors or links including contact with animals, travel or friends in common.

The questionnaire also sought to determine their movements in the event more cases emerged and crisis public health strategies were needed.

No more cases had been reported, however, and Dr Parkin said she did not think there was any ongoing risk to the public.

Dr Parkin said the main motivation behind her research was to "provide closure" for the families.

"It's hard enough losing a loved one, and one of the questions grieving people usually ask is, why?. It's even harder when there is no answer available," she said.

Dr Parkin did not respond to calls from the Otago Daily Times.

The three cases have been referred to Dunedin coroner Jim Conradson. No date for a hearing into the deaths has been set.