July 31, 1953

Vol. 2, No. 29

The number of cases of poliomyelitis reported for the current week is 1,352, which is only about 8 percent more than the corrected total (1,258) for the previous week, and about 20 percent less than the number reported for the same week last year. The cumulative total for the disease year" is 6,720 as compared with 7,088 for the same period last year; and the total for the calendar year is 8,234 as compared with 8,401 for 1952,

In the New England States, Maine and Massachusetts reported an increase in the number of cases as compared with the previous week. A decline in the number of cases occurred in the Middle Atlantic States, principally because the figures for the week ended July 18 contained a large number of delayed reports in New York State. Ohio and Michigan reported an increase over the previous week. The increase from 46 for the week ended July 18 to 76 for the current week in Minnesota was mainly due to increases in Hennepin, Ramsey, and St. Louis Counties, all of which have large urban populations. Iowa reported an increase, but the figure (25) was far below the number (116) for the same week last year.

In the South Atlantic Division, both Virginia and North Carolina reported fewer cases than for the previous weeks. In the latter State, 8 cases were reported in Caldwell and 19 in Catawba Counties,

All States in the East South Central Division reported fewer cases than for the previous week. None was reported in Montgomery County, Alabama.

In the Mountain Division, Arizona reported 22 cases as com pared with 7 for the previous week.

Thirteen deaths from poliomyelitis reported for the current week were as follows: 2 in New York City; 3 in Ohio; 1 each in Macon and Shelby Counties, Illinois; 2 in Michigan; 2 in St. Paul, Minn.; 1 in Baltimore, Md.; 1 in Brevard County, Florida; 1 in Yakıma County, Washington; 1 in Kern and 1 (military case) in San Diego Counties, California.

Dr. Dean Fisher, Maine Department of Health and Weifare, states that the Virus and Rickettsia Section of the Com municable Disease Center has isolated psittacosis virus from a parakeet purchased in the State. The bird died after a short illness with onset a few days after purchase. No human cases have resulted from this source.

Dr. W. R. Giedt, Washington State Department of Health, reports that a parakeet which had died was submitted for vir us study and was found to be positive for psittacosis. The disease was confirmed by mouse inoculation. The breeder from whom the bird was purchased in another area gave a history suggestive of psittacosis about March 1953. Blood tests taken on this person yielded complement fixing titers of 1:32. The breeder's premises were placed under quarantine. Another parakeet, not associated with this aviary but in the same city, died and was found positive for psittacosis. This bird was found flying at large and its origin is unknown. The second human case was in a person who was exposed to parakeets of his neighbor about 10 days before onset of his illness. The source of these birds is being investigated. No link between the 2 human cases has as yet been established.

Typhoid fever

Dr. W. L. Halverson, California Director of Health, has reported the occurrence of typhoid fever in 4 members of a family who had made a trip by automobile from Los Angeles to Mexico City and Acapulco. Two other members were not affected. The party left on May 16 camping in the open or staying in cabins, cooking some of their meals, eating some at hotels, swimming in lakes and streams, and drinking hydrant water and local milk. Three of the 4 affected persons developed diarrhea while in Mexico, and one other person also had diarrhea but did not develop typhoid fever. The party returned to Los Angeles on June 4. The diagnoses of 3 cases was confirmed by positive blood cultures, rhage type A S, typhosa being isolated. Another case of typhoid fever in a 3-year-old child was also considered to have been infected while on a trip to Mexico.

EPIDEMIOLOGICAL REPORTS

Psittacosis

Dr. R. H. Heeren, Iowa State Department of Health, has provided information on 3 human cases of psittacosis. One was in a 44-year-old man who suddenly became ill with convulsions, preceded by mild diarrhea. He also had a mild headache and a low fever. The first blood specimen taken about 2 weeks after onset of illness was positive for psittacosis in a dilution of 1:32. The second taken 4 weeks after onset showed a reaction in a titer of 1:256. The patient had purchased a parakeet in another State about 2 weeks before he became ill. The bird died 1 week after onset of the owner's illness. A wife and 2 children in the household developed no symptoms. The other cases were in a woman and her son. Symptoms were fever, severe nonproductive cough, severe headache, riles, and dullness of chest. The first blood specimens from both patients were negative. The second from the mother gave a positive complement fixation titer of 1:8 with psittacosis antigen. A second specimen was not taken from the son. A parakeet, obtained locally, became sick and died about a week before onset of symptoms in the patients.

Trichiniasis

Dr. S. B. Osgood, Oregon State Board of Health, reports that 73 cases of trichiniasis have occurred in an institution. The diagnosis was based on clinical symptoms supported by eosinophilia of 5 to 35 percent in a large number of the cases. Apparently the infection was contracted from insufficiently cooked pork derived from garbage fed hogs raised on a particular farm. A portion of the pork was supposed to have been condemned about 2 weeks prior to the outbreak. All samples which have been sent to the State laboratory in connection with the pork procured by the institution have been negative for trichina, and the diagnosis is not considered completely established for lack of biopsy and other laboratory evidence.

Gastro-enteritis

Dr. Morris Greenberg, New York City Department of Health, reports an outbreak of gastro-enteritis among 25 counsellors and 120 children who attended a day camp. Of these, 111 children and 13 adults became ill with severe nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea about 3 hours after eating lunch. The meal consisted of egg salad with mayonnaise dressing, lettuce and tomatoes, rice pudding, cookies, and milk. The food was prepared in the kitchen of the dav center. Preparation of the egg salad was begun about 8:00 a. m. and allowed to remain at room temperature until noon at which time it was served. Samples of the food were obtained and all, with the exception of the mayonnaise, showed a high bacteria count as well as a high count of coagulase positive hemolytic Staphylococcus aureus. No skin lesions were found on the 3 food handlers. Throat cultures and stool specimens were obtained from the food handlers and stool cultures were obta ined from 20 of the patients. The results of these cultures are not yet available.

Dr. W. L. Halverson, Director, California Department of

Public Health, reports an outbreak of gastro-enteritis in a camp. There were ? menus served to 3 groups. Illness appeared in only one group of 125 persons who were served cold outs-salami, bologna, and pressed ham. Other foods served to this group were dried lima beans and canned spinach which were served hot. Sixty-five persons became ill from 34 to 5 hours after eating the lunch. The symptoms were nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. One man who had prepared the cold cuts had a cut on his finger but he claimed the incident occurred after the meal. Specimens taken of the cold cuts were negative for salmonella and staphylococcus. Stool and urine cultures from food handlers were also negative.

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, dengrie, plague, typhus fever-epidemic, and yellow fever) are reported, they will be noted under the table above.