The daily Missourian., 1917-07-16
Local Health Boards Are
Distributing Circulars on
Disease Control.
NO NEW CASES HERE
Three Young Women Who
Were Ill Are Improving
Rapidly, Report Says.

ftedltn anu Ine University Health
Service. The circulars are issued by
the United States Public Health Serv-
ice and contain measures adopted by
the Conference Of State and Provin-
cial Boards of Health of North Amer
lea held in May this year.
No new cases of infantile paralysis
have developed here and the three
young women who had the disease are
improving rapidly. The method of
quarantine used in Columbia is the
same as outlined below in the circu-
lar:
disqualification.
The committee approves the re-
moval to hospitals of patients affect
ed with poliomyelitis when proper
isolation and satisfactory care for
the patient can not be secured in the
home; but the committee believes
that during the early stage of the dis
ease the patient needs rest in bed and
that transfer to a hospital may be
detrimental to his welfare.
Other Suggested Measures.
(a) The committee does not recon-
mend the use of travel certificates,
but travel and contact with children
should be discouraged.
(b) Surveillance for persons COM
ing from infected districts, in the
opinion of your committee, is not
necessary, unless the person has been
definitely exposed to infection.
(c) A most effective agency in the
control of this disease is the employ
ment of public health nurses who, in
cooperation with the physician, will
teach sick room precautions, the ne
cessity for rest in bed and the need
of proper support for affected parts.
I'D Expert diagnosticians should
be provided and the use of lumbar
puncture urged.
(e) Food, especially such as is
consumed uncooked, should be con-
sidered as a possible means of trans
ferring the infectious agent and ap-
propriate measures should be insti-
tuted to protect the public during an
outbreak.
G) Where poliomyelitis occurs in
a school, your committee advises that
the school be not closed, but that
daily medical supervision be insti-
tuted.
(g) Efficient screening and the use
of approved insecticides should be
employed so that insects shall not
have access to the patient or his ex-
cretions.
(h) Household pets should be ex-
cluded from the sick room.
O In the presence of poliomyelitis
a search for, and careful examina-
ton of, all ill children should be
made. All children having fever
should be isolated pending the dag
nosis. I
Isolation.
Isolation is a useful measure for
limiting the spread of this disease.
1t is often, however, without demon
strable effect, because of the general
prevalence of unrecognized cases and
carriers.
On account of (a) the numerous in
stances where diagnosis is not made
until late, so that the patient is not
isolated for several weeks after the
date of onset and yet no apparent sec
ondary cases appear;
OBJ The fact that the longest period
observed where a primary case was
apparently the source of infection is
only ten days;
(c) chronological experience,
which does not justify long period
of isolation;
I'D The satisfactory experience in
at least one city and one state with
the use of a two weeks period of iso-
lation for all known cases of poliomy-
elitis over several years;
Your committee recommends:
First: That an isolation period for
a patient of not less than two weeks
nor more than three weeks from on
set be required unless the tempera-
ture has not returned to normal in
the meantime.
Second: That children of the same
household in contact with a patient
be restricted from places of public
assembly for a period of fourteen
6avs from last date of contact, as de-
termined by the health officer.
Third: That an adult of the house
hold. if the patient is properly iso-
lated. may continue his vocation. pro-
y;aed it does not bring him into con-
,oct with children at any time.
your committee recommends that