Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-11-26
PLAGUE SITUATION
ON PACIFIC COAST
Is Much Improved in Last Few
Months, Officials Encouraged
In Work Of Suppression.
OUTBREAK WAS DUE TO RATS
Efforts to Trace Source Crowned With
Success During the MoniI, of
November, 1907.

Washington. Nov. 26.--The plague
situation on the Pacific coast is said
TO have greatly improved within the
last few months and the officials who
have been most active in the work OF
It's suppression are encouraged to be-
lieve that with continued vigilance Its
complete eradication Is probable. pr.
Walter Wrman, encouragement of the
public health ana marine hospital SER
vice. in report to the secretary of the
treasury concerning human plague am
plague infected rats in san Francisco.
Oakland. berkeley, Contra Costa coun-
ty. and Los Angeles, Cal. and in Seat
tie. Wash, covering the period BY
months from May, 1907, to Oct, l, 1905.
shows that since this last named date
no case of human plague or of plague
infected rats has been discovered on
the Pacific coast.
The report shows that III Muy, 1907,
there was one case of human plague
In San Francisco and this resulted
fatally. In June and July there were
none, but In August there We're ] cases
of which six resulted fatally.
In September the number OF cases
had increased to Il with 81 deaths. IN
October there We're 5 eases ana 81
deaths and in November the cases had
increased to &c, With IL deaths.
For many months the physicians in
charge Of the work had trapped weei;-
~ from 5000 to 5000 rats which We're
examined bacteriolosically With refer
cnce to plague infections as many We're
found dead but 1t was not until Mo-
yrcmher, 1907, that their efforts to trace
the plague outbreak to rats were en-
tirely successful for during that month
81 plaEue-infectcd rats We're captured.
In December there we're SO human cases
and eight deaths and 43 infected rats
were trapped or found dead. During
January, 1908. 81 plague rats were
found; but the number OF human cases
had fallen to one. In February there
was only one human case but the num-
her Of Notwithstanding rats secure |.
had Increased to III, but since that
month not single human case has APP
3peared at any of the coast points uh-s
der observation and the number of ir-t
fected rats secured has gradually fal-
len off. with SIS III March. "a in April.
30 In May. three In lune, two In July.
one in August, none in September and ana
two in October. Since then not a sin
gle infected rat has heen taken.
AS to Oakland the report shows that
during the last four months In 1907
there We're IL human cases and seven
deaths. but no cases have developed
since then. During the same period,
T however, l25 infected rats were found;
all of these. however with the exception
( of one taken last October We're cap
tired prior to last May.
In Berkeley there was ono death in
September. 1907, but no cases since, nor
have any infected rats been taken
there.
In Contra Costa county there were
two plague deaths in July, 1907. and
one recovered ease III November. but
none since. No plague rats have been
taken in that vicinity
In Los Angeles there was one single
case reported i'll August, 1905, but none
since.
A plague infected ground squirrel
was taken at Los Angeles at the time
the human case Was reported but no
infected squirrels or rats have been
taken since then.
III Seattle, three fatal human cases
We're reported in October. 1907, but the
city has been since that date entirely
free from human cases.
An occasional plague bearing rat.
however. was taken from time 10 time
during the year III in AID until Sep
tember, 1905. and since then no cap
lures have been made.