The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1930-02-06
10 CASES PARROT FEVER
REPORTED DURING MONTH
Is First Time Disease Has Been
Recognized In Maryland

Recognized In Maryland
Thirteen cases of parrot fever were
included in the notifable diseases re-
ported by the Bureau of Communica
BILE Diseases of the State Department
1 of Health during January. This was
the first time the disease was recog-
nized in Maryland. Seven of the
cases occurred in the counties and six
in Baltimore City with two deaths in
the city. DR.. R. H. Riley, director of
the State department of health, stated
that every case recorded in Maryland
was associated with the care or hand
ling of parrots that had recently been
imported into this country from South
America.
Outbreaks of parrot fever, similar
to the one in Maryland, have occurred
recently in widely separated areas in
this country and also in Germany, the
central European countries and South
America. The first of the Maryland
cases were reported early in January.
Following closely upon them the U.
S. Public health service was notified
of similar. outbreaks in California,
Hawaii, Florida, Minnesota, Connecti-
cut, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York,
Massachusetts,, and Rhode Island,
total of Sc cases and deaths.
AS a result of the outbreaks in Ger
many an embargo was placed upon
the shipment of parrots into German
ports. To prevent the further Spread
of the disease into this country, after
a conference with Surgeon-General
Cumming of the U. S. Public Health
service, President Hoover issued an
executive order, the latter part of the
month, declared an embargo upon the
importation of parrots from any for
eign port into the United States, or
any of it's possessions or dependencies
until further notice. Because of in
dustrial and commercial questions in
volved, the matter was also taken up
by the Bureau of Industrial Hygiene
of the League of Nations at Geneva.
Parrot fever-or psittacosis-to
give the disease it's scientific name,
which is derived from two Greek
words meaning parrot and disease,
has been known for half century as
a disease of parrots transmitted to-
humans and characterized in parrots
by fever, debility and diarrhea and in
humans by the symptoms of typhoid
and pneumonia The first outbreak
was reported in Ritter in 1879. In
1892, Nocard of the Pasteur Institute
isolated what was believed to be the
germ of the disease during his study
of the causes of an outbreak in Paris,
traced the diseased parrots imported
from Buenos Aires.
Only a few cases were on record In
the United States before 1917 when
several traced to parrots, consigned
to department stores, were reported
in Wilkesbarre, Pa, and in Binghamp-
ton, N. Y. The recent outbreak in this
country is generally associated with
the importation, during the latter
part of the year, of birds from the
sources connected with the South
American outbreak.
every little has been known about
psittacosis," DR.. Riley said, Except
that it is primarily disease of par
rots and spreads from parrots to man.
1t is highly infectious and frequently,
several members of family may de-
velop the disease. Apparently, it is
not transmitted from man to man.
The most common modes of infection
are through mouth to mouth feelings
"a dangerous practice at any time
and through kissing or fondling sick
parrots.
at is hoped that the present out
break is under control, but should
suspicious symptoms be observed in
those associated with parrots, no time
should be lost in securing medical
attention. The greatest care should
be taken at all times in handling sick
parrots and in the proper disinfection
of their cages"
In Chicago, while two policemen
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