The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-08-28
MANY Who CARRY
TYPHOID fever
ONE PER CENT OF POPULATION
KNOWN AS TYPHOID CAR.
RiERS. CLEANLINESS
NECESSARY.

Typhoid fever is a specific infection
caused by the typhoid bacillus. Tn Il
within a few years ago little attention
was paid to the so-called "Typhoit
Carrier" When the Board of Health
iof the City OF New York discovered
Typhoid Mary" a cook who, although
she had never knowingly had typhoid
fever, had been the cause of half a
dozen well marked typhoid epidemics,
she was regarded as a scientific curios-
Iiiy; but since that time bacteriulogic
researches have disclosed the fact that
this walking typhoid incubator de-
serves no singular distinction. SAYS DIR.
Dixon secretary of the Michigan state
board of health i'm a bulletin he has
just issued. Such typhoid carriers ap-
pear 10 be quite common, and different
Investigators have found that i'm some
localities over one per cent OF the pop
ulation are typhoid carriers.
Typhoid carriers are individuals
who. although not suffering from
typhoid fever, are discharging typhoid
bacilli in their excreta. They are vir-
tually culture tubes i'm which n con-
slant supply of germs is being devel-
oped and discharged. They are divided
into two types. LIST, those who have
had typhoid fever End. those who have
never or at least not knowingly had
typhoid fever. Every person who has
typhoid fever continues to eXcrete
typhoid bacilli for variable period af-
ter recovery. In most cases this period
will not exceed a few weeks, but may
continue for many years. In some in
stances typhoid bacilli are found in the
oXcreta of persons who have apparent
ly never had typhoid fever. This is
explained by assuming that the indi-
vidual possessed a certain amount of |
at the time of infection and |
did not undergo the ordinary course of |
fever
individuals have n varying degree of |
resistance TO typhoid infection and the |
severity of the disease will vary ac- |
cordingly. The relative number of |
typhoid carriers in any community |
varies as the amount of typhoid fever. |
If typhoid fever is prevalent, the num-
Der Of typhoid carriers will be rela-
lively high. If typhoid fever is rare,
the number of typhoid carriers will be
relatively low except as they may
from the more infected COM
munities.
How to deal with the typhoid carrier
= ~
the modern health officer Typhoid ba-
cilli not only do not originate spontan-
aously from filth. sewage or decay. but
lie within a few weeks after being ex-
crcted from the human body. When
typhoid fever is caused from water.
milk or other foods, it is certain that
he infected substance has been recent
- contaminated either from typhoid
patient or a typhoid carrier. If typhoid
1acilli We're only discharged by those
from the disease. the control
IF typhoid fever or even its complete
would be comparatively
simple. The typhoid carrier is but
'arely recognized and consequently
'annot be avoided. He may be con-
TO the sewage which con-
aminates your drinking water. He
nay be your neighbor or he may be a
member of your own household. Re
member the relation-filth. flies. fin
gers and food. Every person should be
rs a potential typhoid car
Ter. and we should insist upon abso-
ute cleanliness of everything associat-
d with our food and drink. Where such
cleanliness cannot be absolutely as
ured, do not forget that boiling kills
Uphold bacilli and boil everything that
nay harbor the infection.