Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1915-03-26
SPOTTED FEVER
SERIOUS MENACE
INFECTION FROM BITE OF LITTLE
TICK CAUSES ILLNESS FOR
WHICH PREVENTATIVE is
LACKING.

health officer, reports no abatement in
spotted fever cases among shepherd
ers and others whose work takes them
out into the sagebrush. While there IS
no doubt that the infection is carried
from the bite Of a tick science has not
yet discovered the proper inoccuiation
10 prevent the disease and while It
yields to treatment with long and
wearing illness the ahliction is a men
ace nevertheless. In addition to other
cases heretofore reported DR.. ZelIer
has under his care three spotted fever
patients at this time. He advises per
sons to examine themselves for the
little insects which may be caught up
on the clothing at any time when a
person is out in the Iavas even by the
roadside OF in paths. \ little turpen-
tine applied to the pests when located
win cause them to let 90 and at the
same time prevent the possibility Of
infection from their bite.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
How many Of the early trappers.
hunters and prospectors who went in
to the Northwestern Rockies and new
er returning were supposed to have
been tomahawked by the Indians or
chewed up by grizzly bears but in re-
ality died from the bite Of harmless
looking wood tick. will never be known.
Previous to 1902, it was generally
believed that the terms "potted fever"
blue measles black fever" and
~mountain fever" were 1ocalisms used
by physicians in the Rock Mountain
region Of the United States for such
common diseases as scarlet fever.
smallpox, measles and typhoid. It IS
now realized that some, at least, of
these doctors were correct and that
there does exist distinct disease cal {
led Rock Mountain spotted fever.
which is found in certain localities (
scattered over this immense territory.
This is an American made" disease.
commonly Transmitted TO man by the
bite Of an infective wood tick. Ex-
actly where it originated or how much
it has spread since the settlement of
the northwest was begun is not known.
but it seems probable that the shifting
herds of buffalo and later the great .
numbers OF range cattle frequently
must have carried infeetive ticks up
and down the streams and occasional .
ly across the divide from one water
course TO another
Landmarks which might have aided
US in solving the problems of the ori-
gin and distribution Of the disease +
were removed along with the Indian
and the cattle rustler in the rapid de
velopment Of the wonderful west and
only speculation along these lines is
left to us.
The important question now is how
great does the danger loom under pres
ent economic conditions of the disease
spreading throughout the west. or of
even being carried across the NIissis-
sippi river into the eastern states.
The United states government
through the public health service has
attempted 10 solve this question by
locating all known areas of infection in
the Rocky Mountain region. Records
were collected during the present year
OF 40 cases of Rocky Mountain spot
ted fever. with % deaths. occurring in
seven states. Two other states are
known to have the disease.
From this it is seen that the disease
is little less fatal than typhoid fever.
and the total number Of cases. as com
pared with typhoid fever. is small in
deed. The disease. however. is a seri- ,
Gus matter in certain localities and
there is a valley in southwestern Mon ,
tana the development of which has .
been greatly retarded by the presence I
of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in
a virulent form.
According to the public health re- Z
ports. the public health service has !
been at work there for the past four
years destroying the wood ticks and
their rodent hosts in an effort to eradi-
cate the disease from the valley Re
cent experiments indicate that sheep a
grazing is the most feasible method Of 7
accomplishing this end in this partieu- I
lar locality
The so-ealled sheep tick. ~Melopha Is
gus ovinus." is the only insect which L
lives comfortably il The Ions wool OF ;
our western sheep: other insects aad e