Laurel outlook., 1946-04-24
Europe Escapes
Major Epidemic
R Medical Officials
Say They Are Over Hump
In Fight on Disease.

LONDON. MeQlcal dutnOrltleS OF
the UNRRA say that Europe is over
the hump in the battle against dis
ease and has a good chance of get
ting through the remaining critical
months without a major epidemic,
the Associated Press reports.
If the optimism is borne out. a
spokesman said, it will be a great
tribute to preventive medicine in
combating d~eplorable conditions
that faced peacetime Europe - in
sufficient housing, disrupted public
utilities and Spartan diet.
The nearest approach to an cpl
demic was in Britain at the end of
January. Influenza deaths in l26
major cities used as a barometer
jumped SO in one week to a high
of 273 - a surprise since trouble had
been expected more from countries
ravaged by belligerent armies.
Influenza-killer of millions in the
first winter after World War I-gets
hawk-eyed attention. But it has not
caused any major worry,
Vaccination Limited.
"We just couldn't afford to vac
cinate anyone except key person
nel," said DR.. George Stuart, chief
of the epidemic control branch of
the UNRRAs health division.
Latest figures available in Febru-
airy show the typhus situation is
much more favorable than had
been anticipated, except in Croatia
and Romania - "black spots" for
that disease.
Here is a capsule report on the
three international quarantine dis
eases with which Europe is con-
cerned - smallpox, typhus and
plague-and some other commune
cable diseases:
Smallpox - There was one ex-
cept in Italy, where from April,
1914, to January, 1916, there
$685. cases and low mortality. In
December, the number waned to SO.
The advanced state Of vaccination
throughout Europe was responsible
for minimizing the disease.
Plague - There was none except
in the Mediterranean ports. Jaffa
has two cases; Haifa and Tel Aviv,
one each.
Typhus-The situation is satisfac-
tory in western and northern Eu-
rope, although the winter is the peak
season..
DOT powder has revolutionized
the control of typhus. In the Brit
ish and United States in Ger
many, for example, an average of
1000 cases weekly in June had dwin-
died by the end of August to prac-
tically none because of a cam
paign employing DOT.
Diphtheria Worst.
Russia's wartime use of SK9 -
pyrenthum-base powder compul-
sorry baths, change of uniforms and
strict control measures in liberated
nations helped to prevent expected
typus epidemics in eastern Europe.
The highest mortality rate of all
diseases during the war was caused
by diphtheria, which is %receding.
Scarlet fever is waning from the
wartime high of two to five times
normal cases, except in Sweden,
which has two and a half times
more cases than normal, and Den
mark, three and a half times.
In typhoid fever the trend is
downward, despite the fact that
wrecked sewage and water supply
systems make destroyed cities ripe
for an epidemic. Germany and Po-
land have the only high incidence,
the latter with 1000 weekly
in January, a drop since October
high.
Norway had five times nor
cases of cerebro-spinal meningitis
recently than normal, Denmark
eight times and Greece four times.
Otherwise the disease is declining.
Denmark and Norway five times
above the normal number Of cases
of poliomyelitis, while Sweden had
three times. A severe outbreak &C.
CURED on the island of St. Helena.
tuberculosis worst in Italy, Yugo-
slavia and Greece, which had $4,000
deaths in 1945. A recent cross-sec-
ton test in Italy showed that z to
4 per cent a thousand persons
sampled had the disease.