New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1928-07-30
MONKEYS May AID
SPREADING fever
Scientists Think They Have Glue
to Dreaded Disease
>eSveSS

Washington. July 80 R)-The
mysterious. deadly fires of yellow
fever. smouldering for years in re-
mote tropical regions, are flaring up
anew in Brazil. and the guardians Of
the national health on duty at the
quarantine stations along the Ameri-
can coasts have been ordered to
maintain the utmost vigilance lest
the disease slip through their lines.
The outbreak has reached rather
alarming proportions at Rio de
Janeiro. where the American con-
sui has reported that - cases and
70 deaths were officially recorded
between June l and July II. The
ports of Pernambuco. Sergipe and
Bahia also were credited with three
cases each. AS result, ships from
all Latin American ports will be
subjected to the most rigid exam
ination possible by public health
service quarantine officers when
they enter American waters.
This country has been free from
yellow fever since 1905, when New
Orleans fell Victim to the plague.
The Public Health Service sent Is
or 20 medical officers to the LOUISE
ana city then and the epidemic was
quickly stamped out in a campaign
which was so effective that its plan
has been recognized since as a
model for such undertakings. Pub
lie health records show no positive
ly recognized case of the disease IL,
the United States since then. al
though several have been stopped
at quarantine.
In recent years only d few spo-
radio eases have been reported in
Latin America, but the quarantine
officers have been required to
watch endlessly for victims aboard
ships coming under their routine
inspection. AS soon as official re-
ports of the Brazilian outbreak
were received, they were given spe-
clal orders to increase their watch
fulness. Likelihood that the deadly
germs will get into the United
States is extremely slight, health
service officials believe, but the!
are taking no chances. in view OF
the Central American ports and the
abundance of the mosquitoes of the
Aedes Egypt species in the south.
ern states. These mosquitoes dc
not carry malaria germs but are
particularly adapted to the spread
Of yellow fever. and II they should
come In contact with any victims
officials fear. they might distribute
idly.
The yellow fever germ remains
a mystery to science. Several in
vestigators have described organ.
isms which apparently are associ.
ated with the disease, but no agree.
ment has been reached beyond the
assumption that it is probabl,
spiral shaped and too small for ex.
animation with microscopes and
other laboratory instruments nov
available.
Tho BRAZILIAN outbreak follow
closely the martyr deaths of tire.
scientists who were studying th<
disease for the Rockefeller Founda'
ton In Africa. where 1t has per
sisted to some extent for man!
wears, With the sacrifice OF the
lives of these men--Drs. Hideyt
Noguchi, William Young and Ad'
rian Stokes-has come. however, 9
possible clue to the reason that II
has never been possible to stamp ou
the disease entirely.
The maccus rhesus species o.
monkey, it was found. is particular
ly susceptible to the disease, and
American health authorities are in
clined to the view that further In
vestigation may show that othe1
branches Of the ape family arc
providing similar reservoirs fol
propagation and persistence of tn
germs, even when no human vic
Tins are harboring them.