Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-18
ANOTHER STRICKEN
BY PARROT FEVER
Inroads of Disease Cause
Laboratory to Be Closed
for First Time.

With one more victim and still an
other suspect of the mysterious disease
and the Hygienic Laboratory closed
down for the first time in its history by
the inroads of psittacosis. or parrot
fever, on its staff, the Public Health
Service is waiting the report of board
of health officers before deciding on its
next step.
The condition of B. M. Murphy, COL
ored laboratory helper, who has been i'll
for several days, was finally diagnosed
as parrot fever this morning, according
to DR.. George ~. Mccoy, director OF the
laboratory.
Another laboratory worker became III
yesterday, but the psittacosis diagnosis
has not been made.
DR.. Ludwig Hektoen, chief of the
medical division OF the National Re-
search Council, who did much of his
meteorological work at the hygienic
laboratory, was taken to Providence
Hospital yesterday. Harry Morgal, fore
man of the laborers at the laboratory
also was pronounced a psittacosis case
yesterday.
Scientifically, it was explained at
the Public Health Service today, the
strange developments of the last few
days in the overcrowded hygienic lab
oratory may shed new light not only
on the nature of parrot fever itself,
but other diseases which are due to
filterable viruses, such as infantile
paralysis.
Personnel of Board.
The board consists of DR.. Wade
Frost, professor of public health at
Johns Hopkins University; DR.. Claude
Lavender, who has had long experience
in handling epidemicS, and DR.. Carroll
Fox, in charge Of the New York quar-
antine station of the Public Health
Service, who is a specialist on the
spreading of diseases by insects.
The task facing these men was eX-
planned as like unraveling detective
mystery" The latest cases to develop
had no direct contact with the parrot
fever work. The one man who has ben
directly in contact with the sick birds
is DR.. George w. Mccoy, director of
the laboratory, and he has been i'm
mune.
1t has been necessary to discard one
hypothesis after another. 1t was Sug-
gested that infection might come
through the eyes, the ra-microscopic
organisms being carried in fine dust in
the air. This was knocked out when
1t was found that DR.. Mccoy always
took his glasses off when working with
the parrots. Another theory consid-
cred was that only those who ate their
lunches at the laboratory were taken
sick. DR.. Edward francis, Who was
taken to Naval Hospital with parrot
fever Saturday, has not eaten at the
laboratory for years.
Insect Hypothesis.
Not a single case has been established
as due to contact between persons.
None associated with the victims out
side the laboratory have taken sick and
Naval Hospital doctors and attendants
who have cared for them have been
immune. This is significant since
coughing Is characteristic symptom.
Public health officials are driven back
to the alarming hypothesis that the
fllterable virus organisms are carried by
some insect. If this is the case, 1t
might eventually be carried by the in
sects outside the Hygienic Laboratory.
AT first it was thought that it was car
ried only by parrots and could not be
caught except by contact with parrots.
DR.. Fox will work especially on the in
sect carrier theory and the laboratory
will be refumigated.
II CIllS Is Ctle case, IL was eApldl1cu,
promising line of inquiry Is opened
which may explain the curious distribu
ton during an epidemic of infantile
paralysis. This is another filterable
virus disease. Although the insect dis
tribution theory has been advanced. it
has been generally rejected in favor of
distribution by direct contact between
victims or by contact with contaminated
objects.
Suspect Two Cases.
Ten of the Hygienic Laboratory staff
already have been taken sick. OF the
two suspected today, one Is laboratory
attendant and the other a colored
laborer. DR.. Mccoy is personally watch
ing all these cases.
DIR. Hektoen's condition was reported
as slightly improved today, although he
is sicker than any of the others. The
condition of all the others was un-
| changed. All are being treated with
| convalescent serum from the blood OF
persons who have recovered.