Table 2. CASES OF SPECIFIED NOTIFIABLE DISEASES: UNITED STATES, EACH DIVISION AND STATE, ALASKA, HAWAII, AND PUERTO RICO, FOR WEEKS ENDED DECEMBER 24, 1955 AND DECEMBER 22, 1956-Continued (By place of occurrence. Numbers under diseases are category numbers of the Sixth Revision of the International Lists, 1948) Table 2. CASES OF SPECIFIED NOTIFIABLE DISEASES: UNITED STATES, EACH DIVISION AND STATE, ALASKA, HAWAII, AND PUERTO RICO, FOR WEEKS ENDED DECEMBER 24, 1955 AND DECEMBER 22, 1956-Continued (By place of occurrence. Numbers under diseases are category numbers of the Sixth Revision of the International Lists, 1948) The chart shows the number of deaths reported for 108 major cities of the United States by week for the current year, and, for comparison, the median of the number of deaths reported for the corresponding weeks of the 3 previous calendar years. (The median is the central one of the three values arranged in order of magnitude.) If a report is not received from a city in time to be included in the total for the current week, an estimate is made to maintain comparability for graphic presentation. The figures reported represent the number of death certificates received in the vital statistics offices during the week indicated for deaths occurring in that city. Figures compiled in this way, by week of receipt, usually approximate closely the number of deaths occurring during the week. However, differences are to be expected because of variations in the interval between death and receipt of the certificate. While week-to-week changes in the total number of deaths reported for all major cities generally represent a change in mortality conditions, this may not be true for variations in weekly figures for each city. For example, in a city with a weekly average of 50 deaths, the number of deaths occurring in a week may be expected to vary by chance alone from 36 to 64 (d ± 2√d, where d represents the average number of deaths per week). The number of deaths in cities of the same size may also differ because of variations in the age, race, and sex composition of their populations, and because some cities are hospital centers serving the surrounding areas. Changes from year to year in the number of deaths may be due in part to population increases or decreases. Table 4. DEATHS IN SELECTED CITIES FOR WEEK ENDED DECEMBER 22, 1956 EPIDEMIOLOGICAL REPORTS-Continued Histoplasmosis Dr. D. S. Fleming, Minnesota Department of Health, has reported an outbreak of histoplasmosis in a group of 40 men who worked around a church in the southwestern part of the State. Of these, 5 became ill with symptoms compatible with histoplasmosis. Histoplasmin skin tests were positive for each, and blood specimens were positive in titers of 1:32 or greater. An investigation revealed these 5 were the only ones who cleaned windows and put in new window wells on the southeast side of the church. The other men hauled dirt and sodded the lawn. It was reported that the window sills were heavily contaminated with pigeon droppings. At the time of the project the weather was warm and dry. |