Evening star., 1943-06-06
Dr., Rutland Warns
Of Rabies Epidemic;
Urges Control Of Dogs
, Health Department
Receiving Complaints
About Rowing Conines

Health Officer George c. Rutland,
who so far has failed in his cam
paign to obtain an order of the
Commissioners for a general quar-
antine of all dogs in the District,
yesterday warned there would be a
prolonged epidemic" of rabies here
unless Everybody concerned exerted
every possible effort"
He recommended a week ago that
all dogs be kept on leash as well as
muzzled whenever allowed out of
doors, after it had been discovered
that dog which bit a 4-year-old
child had suffered from rabies He
renewed his petition Thursday when
1t was found another rabid dog had
bitten at least seven persons and
"all of the dogs" in the vicinity of
the 400 block of K street NV.
Keech Studying Order.
The Commissioners Friday ap-
proved the plan of the health Off
Ger 'in principle" but referred it to
Corporation Counsel Richmond b
Keech for legal check. Mr.. Keech
said he believed the Commissioners
lacked authority to order blanket,
general order that all dogs must be
kept on leash as we'll as muzzled
Yesterday his formal opinion had
not been completed.
The Commissioners already have
ordered all dogs in the District to
be securely muzzled between May l
and September l
DR.. Rutland warned that during
the past II months rabies reached
epidemic proportions in nearby
Virginia areas. Fearing spread of
the disease here, he recalled the Dis
trict experienced a rabies epidemic
in the l923-1931 period during which
S3 dogs and cats were diagnosed
as having the disease and 4lS per-
sons were reported bitten by rabid
animals.
SO Dogs Rounded Up.
The Health Department reported
yesterday SO dogs had been rounded
up in the past several days. be-
cause they were unmuzzled and were
taken to the District Pound for OBJ
servation. Sixteen of these were
picked up in the vicinity of the 400
block of K street and therefore
were suspected Of having been at
tackled by rabid dog
Six of the seven persons bitten
by the rabid dog in the K street
area now have been located and
advised to take the Pasteur treat
ments-some already are UNDERGOING
it-but the Health Department still
was searching for the seventh per-
son. 1t feared this person might
suffer rabies attack without realiz-
Ing the cause of his ailment.
Dr.. Rutland said an unknown
number Of dogs bitten by the rabid
animal in the K street area would
develop rabies within one to three
months and that these would dis
tribute their infections to other
dogS-and those 10 still others, thus
producing a continuous chain of
disease transmission" He estimated
the Washington dog population at
ooOoo, although only about 10000
are licensed.
Receives Many Complaints.
The health officer added:
scattered reports come from diff !
terent parts Of the city COMPLAIN
ing that dogs are running loose in
the parks. that they are searching
for food around markets and that
they are jumping excitedly into
buses and upon passengers in tram .
sit
1T has been said that rationing
OF food has caused many dogs to
shift for themselves and that there
are now more neglected dogs in the
city than ever before"
He cited these reports to illus
trate the seriousness" of the
Threatened epidemic" which moved
him to call for stringent measures
for the control and prevention of
rabies. He advised that any person
bitten by a dog report to the near
est police station. The report will
be referred to the Health Depart
ment and vetenarian then will seek
to determine if the dog was rabid.
He said any dog infected with
rabies cannot survive and usually
dies within week or 10 days Any
person bitten by a dog was advised
by Dr. Rutland TO present himself
to the owner to see if dog is quar-
antlned and to return again a week
later to see if the dog is alive.