Evening star., 1951-08-08
Malaria Approaching
Extinction in America
Yet 1t Still Is Major Killer
In the World at Large
By Thomos R. Henry

~ auoH0S ~. hiSuIy
Malaria is rapidly approaching ex-
tinction In the United States.
For the world at large 1t still remains
one Of the major killers Of the human
race.
The great change for the better has
come about in the past six years, during
which there have been more than 6,00O,-
600 sprayings with DDT in malarial
areas. More than SO per cent Of the
houses sprayed have been kept free Of
Misunderstanding mosquitoes.
This progress has just been reported
by DR.. George H. Bradley, chief Of the
chronological service Of the Public
Health Services Communicable Disease
Center. For the country as a whole,
about 1000 cases were reported in 1850.
In 1945, there were 62,763 cases.
Even so. the reported cases give an
exaggerated picture, the Public Health
Service believes. OF 676 recorded cases
IN the Southeastern United States, only
26 were found, on examination, actually
to be malaria. OF these verified cases
only six are believed to have been trans
mitted in the United States.
Only Way Of Transmission.
With the introduction Of DDT during
the war 1t was recognized at once as
an extremely powerful insecticide. There
was some concern, however, lest the
anopheles mosquito, the malaria carrier,
would gradually develop an immunity
to the poison.
Up to now, however, statistics indi-
cate, no resistance has developed. The
control obtained in 1850 was as good
as that in 1945.
The only possible way in. which
malaria can be transmitted is through
these mosquitoes.
With the American success, 1t is be-
lieved, the way is open for the elimina-
ton Of malaria throughout the world.
This will take some time, however,
because its greatest hold is among rela-
lively primitive populations, difficult to
reach and to whom modern sanitation
Is unknown.
In order to assure the elimination Of
the mosquito it is necessary not only
to spray dwellings repeatedly but to
treat ponds and pools of stagnant water
which constitute its breeding grounds
An unknown disease-causing virus II
transmitted in cat scratches.
50 It causes q specific disease, cat
scratch fever. Cases of this curious
disease naturally are rare. One Of the
few known has just been reported to
the American Medical Association
through the New England journal Of
Medicine
Man Infected by Cat.
The victim was a 36-year-old man.
Two weeks before admission to the
hospital he wakened to find cat licking
the left side of his neck where there
time he was scratched on the hand.
Shortly after q lymph node on the
left side of his neck started to swell.
It became the size of hens egg. He
ran temperature Of 102. At the same
time pinkish rash developed.
The brunt Of the infection, according
to the report, seems to be borne by the
lymph nodes. None of the few cases of
the disease reported in the past have
been serious. Up to now, however, it
has been impossible to isolate the in
fecting organism. It is known to be
present in the pus from the lymph nodes
involved. This can be used to cause. q
skin reaction. --
Until the virus can be isolated there
will be no specific treatment for the
disease. The infective agent appears to
have no close relationship to other dis
ease-causing viruses-the smallest and
among the most deadly of living things.
Finding Of another virus-that re-
sponsible for the childhood disease,
ers milk. according to a report to the
American Medical Association from DR..
Lawrence Kilham Of the Public Health
Service.
1t also was detected in the milk Of q
monkey that had been artificially in
fected. The presence Of the virus in
the milk was accompanied by a swelling
Of the parotid gland in the side of the
face below the ear.