Evening star., 1948-09-03
Of Stars, Men and Atoms
Plague Moves Eastward s,
Spread by Wild Rodents
Germs Carried From Pacific Areas
Across Mountains to Kansas
By Thomas x. Henry
Plague is moving eastward.

Plague is moving eastward.
Long centered among wild rodents-souirrels
chipmunks and mice-of the Pacific States, 10
now has spread across the mountains as far
as Kansas, where the germs have been found
among prairie dogs.
No part of the country can be considered
safe, the United States Public Health Service
has warned, from the disease which has been
responsible for some of the worst epidemics
IL history. One of these almost depopulated
Northern Europe in the thirteenth century.
This was bIbonic plague, spread by rat fleas.
The form recognized in the United States is
sylvanic plague, ordinarily confined to wild
animals which seldom come in direct contact
with man. Hence the danger never has been
considered very great.
The threat arises from the fact that these
wild rodents sometimes come to the outskirts
OF cities, where they come in contact with
domestic rats whose parasites may transmit
the germs to humans, especially in poorer
sections.
First Fatal Case
The first fatal case in five years occurred last
June in a farm boy living near Alturas Calf.
The germs of the disease now have been
found among rodents in Arizona, California,
Washington. Colorado, Texas and Kansas. In
the latter State it was found in the tissues
OF oae prairie dog. 1t is fair assumption,
however, that the disease is fairly we'll spread
among these animals.
There is no reason to assume" the warm
ing says, that the infection will not spread to
rodents of the Great Plains and into the Mis-
sissippi Valley and eastern United States"
The Public Health Service reports that ito
surveys of the plague situation within the
country necessarily are incomplete and the
disease already may have come east of Kansas.
Colonies of the pure-breed mice at the
Jackson Memorial Laboratory at Bar Harbor.
Me-, now being restored after the great forest
fire which wiped it out last fall are to be kept
absolutely uncontaminated by any exploding
atoms"
Thus, 1t is announced by DR.. Clarence @.
Little, director of the laboratory, they can be
used as controls to determine the effects of
changes of heredity among the same strains
OF animals in other laboratories where RADIO
active isotopes are in use.
Negotiations to use the Bar Harbor establish
nent as a control station already have been
completed with the Atomic Energy Commits
sion of Canada. Similar arrangements have
been discussed with the United States Com.
mission.
Used In Heredty Studies.
Although used for the study of heredity in
general, the primary purpose of these mice Is
to determine the effects of heredity In cancer.
Mice which have been exposed to radiation
will not be permitted in the laboratory because
OF danger of communicating the stock, Dr. Little
says. The pure lines Of heredity soon would
be broken since it has been established for
some time that exposure to gamma rays very
short X-rays may produce permanent changes
i'll the germ plasm.
The policy, DR.. Little says will be to supply
as many pure-bred mice of a specific change
as are required to workers in other laboratories
using radioactive isotopes. Then the irradiated
animals over a course OF generations can be
compared with the Bar Harbor prototypes.
Changes which occur in one and not the other
can more easily be attributed to the influence
Of the powerful radiation on the germ plasm
This will be essentially the maintenance OF
q mouse Bureau of Standards