Evening star., 1931-12-03
BLACK DEATH
AGAIN THREATENS
New Reservoir of Plague
Virus Discovered Among
African Tent DWeIIers.
BY THOMAS n. HENRY.

The dreaded black DEATH" which
nearly depopulated Europe several times
during the Middle Ages, still turks
threateningly in the background with
the discovery of new reservoirs OF bu-
bonio plague virus, according to re-
port Just received by the Public Health
Service from the International once Of
Public Hygiene at Paris, which acts as
an International health watchdog.
The most significant event reported
was an outbreak Of the plague among
BedouinS Of North Africa who live in
tents pitched in the desert, where there
are no rats. 1t has been accepted in
the past that the plague virus was car
ried by rats and transmitted to human
beings by rat feas, which travel only
short distances.
Moreover, In certain Egyptian villages
there are outbreaks Of the disease every
year at regular time. This year these
villages were carefully searched for rats
Just before the expected outbreak, but
none was found. Yet the dreaded NAL
sdy broke out at the regular time.
Outbreak In Senegal
Another outbreak occurred in Sene-
gal with the beginning of Spring, when
fieas, quiescent during the cold season,
began to infest the native houses. 1t
was proved some Of these insects were
infected with plague, but very few rats
could be found. There was a small
outbreak in Azeirbeidjan in January,
the cause Of which physicians have not
been able to determine.
Although domestic or wild rats still
are to be considered reservoirs of the
plague virus" says the report, proofs
of the existence Of other links In the
propagation OF the infection are multi
piled" This means, 1t Is pointed out,
that even greater precautions must be
taken to keep the world safe from the
disease including the discovery of all
localities where it remains.
A new black death" focus, the report
says, has Just been found in the north
eastern part Of inner Mongolia. There
were mild epidemics from 1924 to 1928
and more serious ones during the past
four years. The virus has been traced
10 a native ground rat, but the disease
has been taken out Of the district by
human carriers.
Come With Flea Season.
Studies OF seasonal plague outbreaks
IN India and Madagascar have shown
they come with the flea season and
careful studies are being made of the
various varieties of these insects which
1lter the homes OF natives.
During the past few years the plague
has made its way westward as far as
Algerian ports and Marseille, In
France. In the latter port an important
plague-infected rat focus was found
and destroyed in grain silo. So it is
believed the disease has been definitely
turned back from the threshold Of
Europe.
Extensive experiments with anti
plague vaccine in Morocco and French
West Africa met with inconstant. re-
suits. In the latter country more than
a half million persons were vaccinated
during the past year. The general fnd-
ing has been that while wholesale vac
cination caused an epidemic to recede,
It does not give immunity to all who
receive 1t. Experiments in Japan, the
Dutch West Indies and Portugal have
thrown doubt on the value of the treat
ment. The international Office Is coll
lecting data on the exact methods and
type of vaccine used In all these coun-
tries, In the hope OF arriving at u stand
ardized system for world use.
Carriers Discovered.
New problems also have arisen, says
the international office report, In con-
nection with cholera and the discovery
there may be perfectly healthy carriers
OF the virus of this disease, just as there
are healthy diphtheria carriers. Cholera |
strains were found In the blood of two
pilgrims returning from the great an !
nual pilgrimage to Mecca from the Mos
lem countries about the Mediterranean,
an event that always Is watched care
fully by the international health author
tiles. The cholera carrier, 1t is pointed
out, remains as much of a menace as
ever after vaccination, but the chances
of an outbreak are greatly reduced If
the entire populace is vaccinated.
The discovery of these carriers goes
far toward explaining mysterious out
breaks of this dreaded epidemic dis
ease in spite of the most rigid quaran-
tine and sanitary regulations. Studies
Of means Of identifying the carriers are
under way in several countries.
Meningitis Causes Anxiety.
Another disease causing international
anxiety, it Is reported, Is spinal menin-
gifts, whose frequency has increased
during the past three years In the
United States, Egypt and Great Britain.
There was virulent outbreak last Win
ter in Turkey, where new prophylactic
method, placing two or three drops of
a solution of trypsfiayine in the nostrils
OF all the threatened population twice a
day, is reported to have had excellent
results
While anti-meningitis serum Is re-
ported TO have been q failure in the
United States and Great Britain, re-
ports from Jugoslayia and Poland are
to the effect 1t had considerable efficacy
for adults. All the deaths were among
children between 4 and 10 years old
Worldwide efforts also are reported
for discovery Of the reservoirs of yellow
fever in the jungles of South America
and Africa, from which there is danger
OF their escape at any time because OF
the speed Of modern transportation. 90
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