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December 4, 1953

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Provisional Information on Selected Notifiable Diseases in the United States for Week Ended November 28, 1953

The incidence of scarlet fever and streptococcal sore throat has been increasing for several months. However, the rate of increase has been slower, especially during the last 4 weeks, than that for the corresponding period of 1952. Beginning with the first week in August, the numbers of cases reported weekly, through October, were larger than the corresponding figures for last year. Since the first of November, a total of 7,805 cases has been reported as compared with 8,730 for a corresponding 4-week period of 1952. The cumulative total for the "disease year," which began about August 1st, is 21,766 as compared with 21,416 for the corresponding period of last year.

Botulism

EPIDEMIOLOGICAL REPORTS

Dr. R. L. Cleere, Executive Director, Colorado Department of Public Health, reports 3 fatal cases of botulism. According to information obtained, the vehicle of infection was home-canned beets, eaten the day before illness occurred. The illness began with unusually mild symptoms in 2 of the patients.

Mice injected with material from the home-canned beets died and protected mice did not. An autopsy on the dead mice showed findings compatible with botulism. The laboratory was unable to culture Clostridia from any home-canned food in the home.

Psittacosis

Dr. R. F. Feemster, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, has supplied additional information on a case of psittacosis previously reported. The patient, an adult woman, while purchasing parakeets from a store noticed that 1 bird in the cage fell dead. One of the 2 birds taken home subsequently died and was disposed of without examination. The other was sent to the Public Health Service Laboratory in Montgomery, Ala., where the psittacosis virus was isolated from the bird. About 2 days after the patient became ill, 2 of her children, aged 9 and 6, were ill with fever, and 2 other children, aged 4 and 2, were said to have milder symptoms. A quarantine was imposed on the 3 birds remaining in the store, 1 of which subsequently became ill. All have been released by the store and sent to a laboratory for examination.

Although psittacosis has not been on the list of diseases which States are requested to report weekly by telegram, notifications of 44 cases in humans have been made in telegraphic reports for this year. Epidemiologic information on 48 cases has been received, 28 of which are on cases not included in the weekly report. The epidemiologic investigations indicate that one-fourth of the cases occurred in persons either operating or employed in aviaries or pet shops. The aviaries include those classed as private. Eight cases occurred in employees of a poultry processing plant, and 1 was a nurse investigator, who carried a parakeet in her car following investigation of a case.

Gastro-enteritis

Dr. S. G. Osgood, Oregon State Board of Health, gives information on 7 cases of gastro-enteritis among persons who ate barbecued ham in a restaurant. On November 16, a man purchased a pound of ham at the restaurant and took it home. That evening-I

4 members of his family ate the meat. He and his daughter became ill with vomiting and diarrhea about 3 hours later, but the other members of the family, who ate only small portions of the ham, did not become ill. The next day 5 other cases were reported in persons who ate ham at the restaurant. The symptoms and incubation period were similar to those previously reported. Although one and two-thirds hams were served during these 2 days, no other cases from this source have come to the attention of the Board of Health. Sixty hams, all of the precooked type, had been served prior to this time without any reported ill effects. The remaining third of the ham served November 17 was sent to the laboratory which reported the presence of hemolytic staphylococci (coagulase positive). Specimens of pork and beans taken from the restaurant were found to be negative on culture. The restaurant in question had installed an infra-red cooking apparatus about 2 weeks prior to this episode. Ham, beef, and pork were barbecued under infra-red lamps on a rotating spindle. After cooking, the meat was kept warm under a separate battery of lamps, which at the time of examination did not appear to supply sufficient heat. The general sanitation of the restaurant was good and there were no signs of infection among the food handlers. It was reported that additional cases of gastro-enteritis had occurred in the area during the first 2 weeks of November. None of these were associated with the ham or the restaurant, but 4 patients had symptoms similar to those attributed to the barbecued ham.

Dr. W. C. Levy, District Health Officer, New York State Department of Health, reports an outbreak of gastro-enteritis among 150 persons who ate a Sunday dinner. The meal was served at noon, and on the following morning the victims became ill with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, lasting from 1 to 5 days. Of 38 persons contacted, 29 were reported to have become ill from 1 to 3 days after eating the meal. The vehicle of infection was not found.

The California Department of Public Health reports 2 outbreaks of gastro-enteritis-1 in a private family and the other in a private school. In the private home all the food was prepared by the hostess and was well cooked. The food was prepared after 1:00 p.m. and served at 5:30. None of it was allowed to remain at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Of 12 persons eating the food, 10 became ill from 10 to 40 hours later. The symptoms were sudden onset of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, sweating, fever, muscle cramps, and dizziness. Specimens of meat loaf and chocolate cake were examined at the laboratory but no pathogenic organisms were found. Laboratory tests on specimens submitted by 6 patients and the food handler proved negative.

In the California school, 25 persons became ill following either lunch or supper. The first children affected became ill with vomiting at 9:00 p.m. They had not eaten at the school. Others began vomiting later during the night. In all instances, each ill child vomited only once, went back to sleep, and awoke the next morning feeling well. Apparently there was no diarrhea. The vehicle of infection was not determined. Laboratory examination of specimens submitted by 5 patients and 2 food handlers did not reveal the agent of infection.

Table 1. COMPARATIVE DATA FOR CASES OF SPECIFIED NOTIFIABLE DISEASES: UNITED STATES

(Numbers after diseases are category numbers of the Sixth Revision of the International Lists, 1948)

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1Not computed.

2Deduction: North Carolina, week ended October 31, 1 case.
3Deduction: North Carolina, week ended September 26, 1 case.
*Additions: New Jersey, week ended November 21, 2 cases; North Carolina, week ended October 31, 1 case.
NOTE.-Dengue, Texas, 1 case.

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, [] : data not included 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 NOVEMBER 28, 1953

(Numbers under diseases are category numbers of the Sixth Revision of the International Lists, 1948)

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Typhus fever,

endemic (101)

Table 2. CASES OF SPECIFIED DISEASES WITH COMPARATIVE DATA: UNITED STATES,
EACH DIVISION AND STATE FOR WEEK ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 1953-Continued

(Numbers under diseases are category numbers of the Sixth Revision of the International Lists, 1948)

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Rabies in animals

3

12

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2

1

(056)

AREA

47th week

47th week

1953

1952

1953

1952

UNITED STATES

25

32

32

597

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IIINI

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1

4143

24

48

1

5

18

20

3

38

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2

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14

33

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(21)

62

54

8

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2

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6

1221

40

13

9

9

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31

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14

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23

8

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Table 3. CASES OF SPECIFIED DISEASES: SELECTED CITIES FOR WEEK ENDED

NOVEMBER 28, 1953

(Numbers after diseases are category numbers of the Sixth Revision of the International Lists, 1948)

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