September 4, 1953 Provisional Information on Selected Notifiable Diseases in the United States for The number of poliomyelitis cases reported for the current week is 2,238. A total of 2,251 was reported for the week ended August 22. The number of cases reported for the week ended August 30 last year was 3,562. The cumulative total since the seasonal low point is 16,696 as compared with 22,199 last year, and the cumulative total for the calendar year is 18,210 as compared with 23,392 for the same period in 1952. Except for Utah, which increased from 3 cases for the week ended August 22 to 20 cases for the current week, there were no wide variations in cases reported by States for the past 2 weeks. Some showed decreases and others slight increases. Twenty-nine deaths were reported as follows: New York City, 2; Ohio, 4; Illinois, 3 (1 each in 3 counties); Michigan, 2; Minnesota, 5; Virginia, 1 (in Washington County); Georgia, 1; Kentucky, 1; Oklahoma, 1; Washington, 1; Oregon, 1; and Califormia, 7 (4 in Los Angeles County and 1 each in 3 other counties). Rabies in man EPIDEMIOLOGICAL REPORTS Dr. Mason Romaine, Virginia Department of Health, gives information on the case of human rabies reported last week. The patient was a man who held a part-time job at an animal hospital where he cleaned cages and assisted in the treatment of animals. He frequently had scratches on his hands and it is possible that he contracted the disease at the animal hospital. However, the definite source and site of the infection were not determined. Psittacosis Dr. A. L. Gray, Mississippi State Board of Health, reports 2 suspect cases of psittacosis. The first case was in an infant who died 3 weeks after onset of illness. The symptoms were vomiting, choking spells, fever, constipation, and loss of weight. Psittacosis was suspected at the time of death and an autopsy was performed. The pathological findings were, in general, those of psittacosis. The child was in close contact with a parakeet which apparently had been well following its purchase last year. The nurse took the bird to the State Department of Health where it was killed and sent to the Virus Laboratory in Montgomery, Alabama, for study. Five days later she developed chest pains and severe coughing, which became productive on the fourth day. No fever was noted. She was admitted to a hospital where X-rays were negative. About 2 months after admission to the hospital, the complement fixation test was positive for psittacosis in dilution of 1:8. The report from the Virus Laboratory was negative. Dr. F. H. Wentworth, Ohio Department of Health, reports that psittacosis virus has been isolated from a parrot which was 1 of 3 imported from a southern State. This parrot died on August 12. The other parrots are known to have died about the same time. A diagnosis of psittacosis had been made in one member of each family in Ohio who purchased 2 of the parrots. No information is available at this time on the family who purchased the other parrot because they live in another State. Plague infection Mr. F. M. Prince, San Francisco Field Station, PHS, reports that a specimen obtained August 13, 1953, in San Mateo County, California, was found to be positive for plague. The specimen con sisted of 25 fleas (Hystrichopsylla dippiei, Malaraeus telchinum, and Atyphloceras multidentatus) collected from the nest of a field mouse (Microtus californicus) about 2 miles south of the San Francisco city limits. Herpangina Dr. C. M. Steward, New York State District Health Officer, reports that one physician attended 10 cases of possible herpangina during a period of 10 days. All of the cases occurred in children under 6 years of age. They had sudden onsets of high fever, sore throat, and blebs on the roof of the mouth. No extensive laboratory investigation was made. Malaria Dr. W. H. Y. Smith, Alabama Department of Public Health, reports 2 unusual instances of malaria. The first instance concerns a case of Plasmodium vivax in a 3-year-old child who was given a blood transfusion following an injury. The donor, her father, had been treated for a febrile illness while a member of the armed forces in Korea but had no recurrence since 1950. P. vivax was found in a blood smear obtained from him at the time of his daughter's illness. The second instance involves 2 children who had malaria due to P. vivax. These children had recently returned from the Panama Canal Zone and gave a history of treatment for malaria prior to their return. Shigellosis Dr. Dean Fisher, Maine Department of Health and Welfare, reports 2 cases of shigellosis among approximately 80 boys in a camp. The cases were in 12-year-old boys who had been on an overnight hike to the same place on the same night, but in separate parties. Another boy in one of the hiking groups had diarrhea. He and all the other boys in the 2 groups who could be reached submitted negative stool specimens. S. shiga was identified from, specimens submitted by the 2 patients. The source of infection was not found. Gastro-enteritis Dr. W. A. Longshore, Jr., California Department of Public Health, gives additional information on the outbreak of gastroenteritis mentioned in this report for the week ended August 15. The outbreak affecting 263 persons, occurred among 400 Mexican nationals who resided in a camp, and were detailed to work at 10 different ranches in the area. Cases were reported at all 10 ranches, and the only common source was the lunch which was packed at the camp. Before leaving at 6:00 a.m., all the men were given lunches which consisted of 2 hard boiled eggs, an orange, a piece of coffee cake, and 3 sandwiches-cheese, jelly, and meat loaf. These lunches stayed in the hot sun until eaten at noon time. A few hours after eating lunch the victims became ill with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and prostration. An investigation indicated that the meat loaf sandwiches were the vehicles of infection. A preliminary bacteriological culture on samples from the sandwiches showed unidentified staphylococcus and streptococcus. An examination of the kitchen help revealed that the chef had a large burn with weeping blisters on his forearm and 2 helpers had evidence of abrasions and cuts. Since the food was mixed by hand,it is possible that any one of these persons may have been the source of contamination. Three mild outbreaks of gastro-enteritis which occurred in New York State are summarized as follows: (1) In one instance, 19 persons in 5 families became ill from drinking polluted water from a drilled well. (2) In another instance, 20 persons living at a lodge had a mild illness. A similar illness is widespread throughout the area and county. Samples of the water proved to be safe, and food handling practices at the lodge were essentially good. It is believed that the outbreak was spread by person to person. (3) In the other instance, over 100 cases have been reported in a wave of mild gastro-enteritis which occurred in and around one village. Water was suspected to be the vehicle of infection but samples collected were negative. Dr. Roy F. Feemster, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, reports 4 cases of gastro-enteritis in persons at a summer cottage. They experienced nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps a few hours after drinking well water. The well was 22 feet from a cesspool and laboratory examination of the water showed it to be grossly polluted. It was reported that the previous tenant at the cottage had a similar experience but complete information was not available. Dr. F. H. Wentworth, Ohio Department of Health, reports an outbreak of gastro-enteritis due to pineapple chiffon pies. One bakery baked 1,363 pies and shipped them to 11 different outlets scattered over the State. The filling, containing starch and a sus pension of frozen egg yolk, was cooked and kept at room temperature for some time while the shells of the pies were being baked. The shells were then cold filled. Approximately 150 cases have been reported to the Health Department, but over 700 claims of gastro-enteritis have been made to representatives of this company. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated with ease from several pies. Suspensions of the frozen egg yolk used to make the filling of these pies did not contain staphylococci. Several individuals working as pie fillers had small cuts on their fingers. Staphylococci were isolated from these wounds. It was concluded tentatively, that the filling of these pies was contaminated during the filling process. Table 1. COMPARATIVE DATA FOR CASES OF SPECIFIED NOTIFIABLE DISEASES: UNITED STATES 2Addition: New Jersey, week ended August 22, 1 case. Deductions: Iowa, week ended August 1, 2 cases; Delaware and Missouri, week ended August 15, 1 case each; Georgia, week ended August 22, 2 cases. Reported in Mississippi. SOURCE AND NATURE OF DATA These provisional data are based on reports from State and territorial health departments to the Public Health Service. They give the total number of cases of certain communicable diseases reported during the week usually ended the preceding Saturday. When the diseases which rarely occur (cholera, dengue, plague, typhus fever-epidemic, and yellow fever) are reported, they will be noted under the table above. Symbols.-1 dash [-]: no cases reported; asterisk [*]: disease stated not notifiable; parentheses, 】 in total; 3 dashes [---]: data not available. : data not included Table 2. CASES OF SPECIFIED DISEASES WITH COMPARATIVE DATA: UNITED STATES, (Numbers under diseases are category numbers of the Sixth Revision of the International Lists, 1948) HEPATITIS, AREA MENINGOCOCCAL (080) 34th week 34th week |