PUtBLIC HEALT'H REPORTS. VOL. XXV. OCTOBER 14, 1910 No. 41. CONFERENCES ON EPIDEMIC POLIOMYELITIS AT THR MEETING OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC HEALTH ASSO-- CIATION, 'MILWAUKEE, WVIS., SEPTEMBER 5-9, 1910. By WV. H. FRosT, Passed Assistant Surgeon, United States Public Hlealth and Marine- Hospital Service. Although there was no discussion of epidemic polioinyelitis upon the programme of the association, a considerable number of memDber. of the association were sufficiently interested in the subject to meet informally to discuss various aspects of this disease as a public health- problenm. Two such conferences were held, one on Septemnber 8 ani one on September 9, attended by representatives from California, Connecticut, Iowa, Ma yland, Massaichusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Virginia, Wisconsin, the District of Columbia, and the Province of Ontario. Poliomveliti.s was repoited to have been unusually prevalent in all of these districts and epidemic in most of them. TIhe questions most fully discu.ssed at the conferenices were: 1. The advisability of making anterior poliomyelitis a reportabte disease. It was unanimouslv agreed that reports of this disease should be required by law. Of the States represented, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania. Minnesota, and Virginia have already mlade the disease reportable. 2. The advisability of (juarantining cases. While there were some differences of opinion as to the rigidity of the quarantine which should be enforced, there was a general consensus of opinion to the effect that all cases should be isolated for at least two weeks from the date of onset; that the premises should be placarded; that children known to be in contact with cases of poliomyelitis should be excluded fromn. schools for a period of two or three weeks. Regulations requiring complete fanlily quarantine were considered by nioot of those present- to be impracticable. 3. The diQinfection of discharges fronm the patient. This was uniaiii- iiiou.sly recommended. Other points discussed were the relationi of abortive cases and car-- riers to the spread of epidemic.s; the effect of climatic and seasonal conditions upon epidemics; the relation of paralysis of animals to humnani l)oliomnyelitis; the possibility of transmission by insects: the infectiousness of fomnites; the early diagnosis of the disease. These conferences, as well as coniversations with vaarious state healthk officials actively engaged in the study of epidemic poliomyelitis, proved highly in.structive, giving some idea of the extent of preva- lence of epidenics of poliomyelitis (luring the past summer, of the great variations in epidemics as regards virulence and apparenit con- tagiousness, and of the practical dlifficulties in the way of effectual' prevention. 119 1 443 UNITED STATES. E?ORTS TO THE SUROBON-GENERAL, PUBLIC HEALTH AND MARINE-HOSPITAL SERVICE. PLAGUE-PREVENTION WORK. 'Surgeon Blue reports: ANIMALS IXAMINED FOR PLAGUE INFECTION. During the week ended September 24, 1910, there were examined ifor plague infection at the federal laboratory at San Francisco and 'the branch laboratories at Oakland and Los Angeles, Cal., animals as follows: Squirrels, 3,238; rabbits, 8: gophers, 2; weasels, 1; rats, 2,055. The rats were identified as follows: .Mus8 norvegicus 1,834, mu-s rattus 91, XAfi ale.xand&rint.s 92, MJ1s mu8culu.q 38. No plague-infected animals were found. DISTRIBUTION OF POISON. In connection with the making of a squirrel-free zone around the cities on San Francisco Bay, 1,750 acres of land in Contr-a Costa County and 44 in San Mateo Couinty were covered with poison during -the week ended Septemiber 24, 1910. SEATTLE, WASH. Assistant Surgeon Chapin reports: During the week endedc September 24, 1910, 924 rats were collected. Of these 790 were necropsie and examined for plague infection. No plague-infected rats were found. Record of Plague Infection. Total number Date of last Date of last of rodents Place. case of human case of rodent found infected plague. plague. since May, 1907. -1 California: Cities- San Francisco ................................ Jan. 30,1908 Oct. 23.1908 398 rats. Oakland.- !Oct. 26,1909 Dec. 1.1908 126 rats. Berkeley .AAug. 28,1907 None recorded. Los Angeles .A..ug. 11,1908 Aug. 21,1908 1 squirrel. -Counties- 2 Alameda (exclujsIve of the city of Oakland).. Sept. 26.I May 30. 1910 82 squirrels, 1 wood rat. Contra Costa ... Jtily 21,1908 Sept. 10,1910 247 squirrels. Merced .... None recorded. June 6,1910 2 squIrrels. Monterey ..do .....do. 4 squirrels. San Benlto ........June 5,1910 July 11,1910 20 squirrels. San Joaquin ....... None recorded. Aug. 19. 1910 6 squIrel. San Luis Obispo .......... do. Jan. 29.1910 1 squirrel. Santa Clara ...... Sept. 5.1910 June 22.1910 22 squirrels. Santa Crtnz ...... None recorded. May 17.1910 3 squirrels. Stanlslaus ............. .... do. May 21.1910 5 squirrels. WVashington: Seattle .... Oct. 30,1907 Feb. 8,1910 22 rats. 1444 1445 October 14, 1910 Rats Coliected and Examined for Plague Infection. I ~~~~Total Place. Week Foind col Exam- Found ended- dead. lected. ined. infected. California: Berkeley ....................................... Septt. 24 ........ a128 107 Oakland........................................ ...dTo.... 33, b713 628 San Francisco.................................. ...do.... 45 c1,716 1,320 Washington: Beattle.......................................... do .. 924 790 I I Total . | 78 1 3,481 2,845 .. .. aIdentified, Mu. norvegicue 107, Mus mu.culus 21. b Identified, Mus 627, Mus rattus 1, Mus muwtlu. 85. cIdentified, Mu8 noregcu. 1,211, Mus rattu8 90, Mus musculus 323, Mu alexandrinus 92. Squirrels Collected and Examlned for Plague Infection. Exam- Found Place. ended-Week andTrappedshot. Foinddead. ined. infected. California: Cities - San Francisco ...................,... Sept. 24 ..8 8 .......... Counties- Calaveras ................. do .... 99 .... 99 .......... ContraCosta ............. ... do.... 196 7 203 .......... Fresno ........... do.... 333 ... 329. Los Angeles ... do 89 89. Merced .... '.do..... 156 19 1,58 .......... blonterey .do.... .270 263 I.......... Napa .do.... 4 . 4,4I...... Sacramento ............................. do ... 183 .... 181. San Joaquin ........ ... do .... 369 361 .......... San Luis Obispo ........d............ do 1,1011 1,076. San Mateo ..... ...d 86 9 95. Santa Clara ...... do .... 39 . 39 .......... Solano ...... do .... 216.... 209 1... Tuolumne ...... do .... 124 .......... 124 ......... _ Total .r.. ...... 3,265 36 3, 230. Other Animals Collected and Examined. Week Exam- Place. ended- Animals collected. ined. |iFoundinfected. 1.. California: City- n San Francisco.............................. Sept. 24. 6 gophers........ 4 .......... Counties Fresno ...................................... 1 rabbit.......... I .......... Sacramento ................................ 3 rabbits.... 3 .......... San L.tis Obispo............................. 1 weasel......... I .......... Tuolumne .................................. 4 rabbits......... 4I.i1-''''''' Total ... ......... 15 111 ....... Cholera In an Immigrant. Doctor Doty, quarantine officer of the port of New York, reports as follows: The steamship Ger)rania arrived in New York on September 26, having left Naples September 13. One immigrant who ha been under treatment en route for malaria was removed September 26 to the quarantine for observation though withouit symptoms of cholera. These developed, however, after catharsis, and the case resulted fatally September 29. Bacteriological examination of the dejecta demonstrated the cholera bacillus. October 14,1910 1446 SMALLPOX IN THE UNITED STATES. Reports Recelved During Week Ended October 14, 1910. Place. Date. 0ams. Deaths. Remarks. Alabama: Mobile .. .... Sept. 25-Oct. 1 4. Lousiana: New Orleans ............... ..... do 4...... MiF8dppi: 4 .......... County .......... ..... do 4 .......... YazooCity ................. ..... do Nebraska: 1 .......... Lincoln . .. July 1-81. 1.2 North Carolina: .......... Alamance County ......... ..... do Anson County ............. ..... do. 2........ Bladen County ............ ..... do 1........... BrunswickCounty ......... ..... do Buncombe County ........ ..... do. 10...........'.......... Cabarrus County .......... ..... do Chatham County .......... ..... do 1 !.......... Davidson County .......... ..... do 10 .......... Durham County ........... ..... do 5.........1.......... County ............ ..... do 1 .......... County ............ ..... do ........... Gfiilford County ........... ..... do 1.1........... Haywood County .......... ..... do .--.--. .......... Iredell County ............ ..... do 116............. Lincoln County .......... ..... do Martin County ......... ... do ....-.- Mecklenburg County ...... ..... do 10.+ Nash County .............. ..... do. New Hanover County do 13.l1....1........... Orange County ........... ..... do. 2...........6.' Person County ........... ..... 3 Pitt County ................ do 9........... Robeson County ........... ..... do. 1.......... Rowan County ........... ..... do. 2..6 Stanly County ........... ..... do ........... Union County ........... ..... do. Warren County ........... ..... do 3.......... Watauga County .......... .....do. 1..........92.......... Wilkes County ........... I.. do 1..........8.......... Ohio: Franklin County Sept. 1-3. Hamilton County ......... ..... do Jackson County ..... do. 23. Lucas County ....................... ..... do 14.. Ross County..do............ Pennsylvania, entire July 1-31