Evening star., 1933-05-26
hoy NEAR CAPITAL
| IS FIRST STRICKEN
| BY SPOTTED FEVER
DOG Tick Encountered in
Underbrush Believed Start
of Dread Infection.
DOCTORS HOLD PARLEY
AT HOME OF PATIENT
7-Year-0ld Hartley Day of Somer-
set in Satisfactory Condition
as Emergencies Are Waited.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever Eastern
type, the new disease Of the Summer
woods, which has arrived in this part
of the country only during the past
pearance near Washington this year.
The victim Is Hartley Day, 7-year-
old son Of Mr. and Mrs. irving Day
405 Cumberland avenue, Somerset. The
child presumably picked up dog tick
in the underbrush somewhere in the
neighborhood and rapidly developed the
dreaded malady which is spread by
this minute, spider-like insect, which
abounds everywhere.
Because of the likelihood of other
cases a conference was held at the
Day boys home this morning by DR.
]. F. Davidson, the attending physician
DIR. v. L. Ellicott, Montgomery County
health officer, and a representative OF
the Maryland State Health Department.
As a result another conference will
be held today with scientists at Mary
land University on the practicability
of cleaning UP Immediately the weeds
and underbrush where children are
likely to play. Methods of doing this
will be discussed and also whether it
should be a function of the State
county or local community.
Emergencies Are Awaited.
The Day boy was reported today as
progressing satisfactorily, but all that
can be done is to wait for the de-
velopments Of the disease. No treat
NJ ic attend
the general condition of the patient
and attend to emergencies as they arise.
There is every likelihood of an in
crease in the incidence of this tick
carried disease in nearby Maryland
and Virginia this Summer, according
to the United States Public Health
Service. Two Summers ago there were
only four cases reported in Maryland.
Last Summer there were 100 cases.
Normally another big jump is to be
expected, the incidence of the disease
depending largely on the number of
ticks carrying the virus. 1t is believed
the majority are harmless, but even
tually every dog tick will be potential
killer. since they get the virus. from
infected animals and it is hereditary
among them.
The sad part of the story, say Pub
lie Health Service officials. Is that there
is very little to be done about it. The
spotted fever vaccine used in the West
is available in very limited quantities.
The disease first made its appearance
In certain valleys of the northern Rocky
Mountain area, varying greatly in virul-
ence from place to place, and was
traced to a close relative of the dog
tick which was strictly confined to that
region. After several lives had been
lost in the process, it was found that a
vaccine prepared from the ground-up
bodies of the infected ticks themselves
afforded a fairly good protection.
Slow, Dangerous Job.
But the preparation of this vaccine
Is slow, costly and dangerous job.
tana laboratory of the Public Health
Service No commercial firm has been
willing to undertake it and there has
been a considerable list of fatalities
among the Government personnel en-
gagged in its preparation. Nobody
knows how the virus made its transi-
ton from the strictly localized Rocky
Mountain tick to the dog tick which
abounds everywhere. The disease made
its appearance suddenly in Virginia
three years ago.
The Eastern form is almost identi-
cal with that known in the West, but
Is not quite so virulent.
The danger is especially great in the
case Of children. The best protection,
according to a circular isued by the
Public Health Service, Is to examine a
child thoroughly twice day-at noon
and just before bedtime A popularity
of this virus is that 1t appears to be
manufactured in the body of the tick
during the process of feeding on the
blood Of the human, or warm-blooded
animal, to which it has attached it
self. The virus is not present in suf-
ficient quantity to be very dangerous
until the insect has fed for about eight
hours.
The bug Is most likely to be picked
up from tall weeds or thick under
brush such as are abundant in subur-
ban neighborhoods.