The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-07-30

SSSeseS~.~ once the scourge of the South-is being attacked in new quarter, the northern Mississippi river valley.
 As a preliminary step to eradica- tion of the disease, a five-state mos quito census has been started be. tween St. Louis and St. Paul, Minn.
 Investigators believe they will find that an unprecedented recent rise in malaria cases in the area has been caused by two factors, the tourist trade to northern resort areas, and the man-made lakes created by 26 dams.
 Dr. J. A. LePrince, who eradicated malaria in the Canal Zone under the direction of Gen. William c. Gorgas, is in charge of the jnveStiga- tion. Expenses will be shared equal ly by the health departments of Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
 One of Yellow Fever Heroes Dr. LePrince is a former head of the sanitary engineering division of the U. s. Department of Health. He was one of the few scientists who shared in the control of yellow fever in Cuba in 1901.
 When the Panama Canal was started, Gen. Gorgas placed him in charge of the malaria control work. He performed the same office for the army in cantonments during the World War, where the malaria rate, even among northern soldiers in southern camps, was cut to half of 1 per cent of the Spanish-American War rate.
 Dr. LePrince believes that the rise in malaria in the North is due to upsetting the balance of nature by impounding water behind dams in the Mississippi. A similar rise was reported in the entire IVA area in Tennessee two years ago. More Shallow Water Investigators there found that the flooding of heretofore dry areas in- creased mosquito breeding grounds in the "feather-edge" of shallow water along the shoreline of lakes and streams. At the same time, the mosquitoes natural enemies, fish, did not increase approximately. Tn the Norris dam area" Dr. Le- Prince said, i've couldn't find enough malaria mosquitoes for test- ing purposes before the floodgates were closed. When the lakes had filled, however, they were regular mosquito farms"
 Minnsota is the northernmost point in the world where malaria is found, and up to 1880 it was almost unknown there. In the past 10 years, since the government began building dams for a nine-foot Mis- sissippi channel, malaria has in- creased all along the river in almost geometric progression.
 In Iowa alone, 138 cases were re- ported from 1883 to 1889. Recently the number surged upward, from l3 in 1888 to II in 1899. In the first six months of this year, 2l cases have been reported. compared to only one in the same period of 1889, July, August and September are the natural malaria months, and it was expected that this years final total would more than double last years.
 New Factors Faced
 "Our problem is to find what changes have been made in the mos- quito population due to the im- pounding Of water" Dr. LePrince said. Climatic condition in the North are different and our south- ern data may not hold at all. After we have obtained our data, we can proceed with control measures"
 Nine field men will take the "cen- sus." Mosquito traps will be placed near the water edge in selected spots for sainplings of mosquito den- sity along the whole stretch of ri- yer.
 Control measures probably will be those devised by Dr. Leprince and pr. M. A. Barbour to deal with