m841 U. S. Department of APR 21, 1953 Public Health Service April 17,1953 Washington 25, D.C. Vol. 2, No. 14 Provisional Information on Selected Notifiable Diseases in the United States for Week Ended April II, 1953 During the first 12 weeks of 1953 a total of 116,319 measles direct contact with members of the junior class. All juniors becases was reported in the United States. This is less than half longed to a club which met frequently at the homes of its memthe number (263,447) reported for the corresponding period of bers. The only party which all juniors with positive cultures 1952. The New England and Middle Atlantic Divisions reported attended was given on January 29. The incubation period from substantially fewer cases during this period in 1953 than in 1952. that date was 9 to 31 days. The mother of the girl at whose home Two other geographic divisions, the South Atlantic and the East the party was given was found to be discharging typhoid bacilli. South Central, also reported decreases from the numbers re- She gave a history of having the disease in 1921. Strangely ported last year. However, there were 3 divisions which report- enough her adopted daughter was one of two who had negative ed increases-the West South Central, West North Central, and stools and negative widals. Two other members had negative the Pacific. See chart below. stools but slight and partial widals. Laboratory examination revealed that S. Typhosa, bacteriophage type A, was responsiEPIDEMIOLOGICAL REPORTS ble for the outbreak. In addition, the investigation uncovered 2 cases of S. typhimurium in members of the junior class and 1 Typhoid fever S. Litchfield in a food handler in the school cafeteria. Dr. Roy F. Feemster, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, reports that an outbreak of typhoid fever occurred in a Chemical food poisoning high school for girls during February 1953. Symptoms were Additional information has been received relative to outnot characteristic and the diagnosis was delayed by an outbreak breaks of chemical food poisoning following the eating of imitaof virus infection in the general population during that month. tion grape jelly, as reported in the Communicable Disease SumSeveral patients had no symptoms or had minor illnesses, and mary for the week ended February 28, 1953. Investigation reattended school until stool cultures were found positive. Of 10 vealed that the jelly was contaminated with a chemical comcases reported, 9 were in members of the junior class. The pound (probably magnesium silicofluoride). Symptoms in cases other case was in a senior who may have become infected by investigated were nausea, vomiting, and in some instances, diar lium was found in organs and urine of the fourth, a fatal case. The origin of the ingested thallium has not yet been determined. rhea within 1 hour after ingestion of the article of food. In addi tion to the original report of illnesses in Idaho, other cases were said to have occurred in Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado. Shipments the product have been confined to certain West North Central and Mountain States. All outstanding stocks are being recalled. Plague infection Mr. Bertram Gross, Hawaii Department of Health, reports that plague infection was proven positive for P. pestis in 2 findings within the endemic area of the Hamakua District. One was a rat (R. alexandrinus) found dead on March 25. The other was from a mass inoculation of 4 fleas (X. cheopis) obtained from a rat (R. hawaiiensis) which was trapped on March 27. Both rats were from District 3A, Kapulena area. Thallium poisoning Dr. Morris Greenberg, New York City Department of Health, reports 4 cases of thallium poisoning in men employed at a restaurant and bar in Queens. The suspected vehicle of infection was chicken soup prepared by one of the four affected, and eaten only by them. Preliminary investigation revealed that the symptoms were quite different from those of the usual types of food poisoning. Abdominal cramps and nausea began several hours after the suspected soup was eaten, but within the next few days all patients complained of weakness and tingling of the extremities, and became increasingly ill. At this point botulism or heavy metal poi soning was suspected. It was soon established that no food which might harbor Clostridium botulinum had been eaten. Samples of urine were examined for arsenic but none was present. Before chemical tests were complete, about 2 weeks after eating the contaminated meal, all four men began to lose their hair. This clearly indicated that the poisoning was due to thallium. Confirmation was provided by urine examination, thallium in large amounts having been found in two of the cases the third is still pending. Thal Psittacosis and ornithosis Dr. C.C. Croft, Ohio Department of Health, reports the isolation of psittacosis virus from a parrot which died in Delaware, Ohio. This was accomplished by mouse inoculations of spleen, and demonstration of elementry and inclusion bodies. The confirmation was made by the Communicable Disease Center virus laboratory. The parrot was brought into the State from Texas in early March. No associated human cases have been brought to the attention of the Ohio Health Department. Dr. J. V. Irons, Texas Department of Health, reports an outbreak of 8 cases of ornithosis which occurred in a south Texas poultry plant. All cases were in persons who had been dressing turkeys. Table 1. COMPARATIVE DATA FOR CASES OF SPECIFIED NOTIFIABLE DSEASES: UNITED STATES (Numbers after diseases are category numbers of the Sixth Revision of the International Lists, 1948) July 1 32,292 2,126 175 COCA CA CC ject බඩ Anthrax ---062 13 1 1 Botulism.-049.1 12) Brucellosis (undulant fever)-----044 37 51 (2) Diphtheria--- ---055 36 45 116 Encephalitis, acute infectious---082 16 24 9 (2) Hepatitis, infectious, and serum ----092,1998.5 pt. 627 249 (2) Malaria --110-117 11 157 Measles- ---085 21,584 34,175 25,842 Sept. 1 Meningococcal infections---------057 129 135 94 Sept. 1 Poliomyelitis, acute---------- --080 87 62 58 Apr. 1 Rabies in man------------094 (2) Rocky Mountain spotted fever----104A 2 (2) Scarlet fever and streptococcal sore throat --050,051 | 3,974 3,865 2,132 Aug. 1 Smallpox-- --084 1 (2) Trichiniasis----- ----128 5 (2) Tularemia -----059 13 13 (2) Typhoid fever----- ---040 14 24 Apr. 1 Typhus fever, endemic ---101 6 Apr, 1 ---056 581 Oct. 1 8, 843 127 2,019 2, 346 87 58 (2) (2) NN 8 9 94,697 44,796 12 32,865 18 NN 54,517 24 59,095 6 76 147 319 46 8,652 254 469 14 70 203 421 36 16,147 22 6 30, 332 6 16,509 (2) 43, 391 21,777 Symbols.-1 dash [-]: no cases reported; asterisk (*] : disease stated not notifiable; parentheses, [ ] in total; 3 dashes [---] : data not available. Table 2. CASES OF SPECIFIED DISEASES WITH COMPARATIVE DATA: UNITED STATES, EACH DIVISION AND STATE FOR WEEK ENDED APRIL 11, 1953 1 Maine------ 379 50 12 19 106 39 153 22 7 150 5 80 11 1, 486 1 6 Ney York---- EAST NORTH CENTRAL- WEST NORTH CENTRAL 2 1 2 210 5,315 233 298 4,501 503 1,725 5,210 6,333 1,316 953 116 458 706 1,754 838 1,705 2,234 1, 463 2,932 1,362 235 106 366 218 1,008 187 24 179 3 27 974 2,885 5 96 323 87 169 173 409 17 282 9 en MIHAI 1 1 1 1 2 1 70 24 43 14 3 345 311 |
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