Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-08-05
Extinct Bubonic Plague
Crops U p in California
BY. JACK LEFLER

BY. JACK LEFLER
CORONA, Calif.-When Andrew
Sakacs, gravely i'll, was brought to
Corona Naval Hospital, doctors
quickly had a grim suspicion.
For three preceding days, the
43-year-old retired Navy chief
petty officer had been treated for
what was thought recurrence of
malaria. His condition was steadily
worsening.
After one look, 1t. Comdr. Lay
M. Fox, 31-year-old internist from
Baltimore, ruled out malaria. But
what else could it be-?
A quick check showed:
White blood corpuscle count
47,000-5 to 10 times above normal.
Continued chills, fever, nausea,
diarrhea. Extremely painful SWELL
: ing in the right groin. Small
amount of pus in right ankle. No
evidence of ascending red streaks
in the right leg, as in a normal
infection.
DR.. Fox learned that the previous
1shed in a remote mountain area
and, upon return, noticed several
small red marks on his right ankle.
He had begun feeling i'll.
The marks, DR.. Fox reasoned,
could have been flea bites.
An alarming picture began taking
shape. But DR.. Fox, cautious
man. wanted to be sure before
announcing his dread diagnosis.
He extracted specimens from
swollen lymph glands in the
groin and examined smears micro
scopically. These confirmed the
suspicion:
Bubonic plague-one of the most
fearsome diseases in all mankind's
history. but a medical rarity in this
country.
The time was 4 pm. 1t had taken
Just three hours to solve the puzzle.
The young doctor. who never had
encountered plague case before.
won wide acclaim from associates
for his expert diagnosis.
But his medical detective work is
only part of the story of the illness
OF Andrew Sakacs-who died June
rs for lack of early treatment.
While the hospital was using
every method known to medical
science to break the diseases hold
on Mr.. Sakacs, California health
authorities launched a quick and
dramatic search for the plague
source.
Word Of the case had sent, panic
through Mr.. Sakacs hometown of
FL Rio, a small southern California
city.
Mothers kept their children in
doors, checked them for feverish
symptoms. Rat hunts were or
ganized and platoons Of trap-bai-
tiers went to work.
Mention of plague evoked shud-
dering tales of the BLACK death"
that swept through Europe in the
14th century. leaving Is million
dead.
But plague had been consigned to
virtual extinction in this country
by high standards of sanitation.
Would the plague spread like Wild
fire as it did in Europe six centuries
ago, and still does in such places as
India. China. Java?
How did Mr.. Sakacs fall victim
to the almost unknown disease?
Search for Source
A health department task force,
headed by DR.. NJ G. Wyman. cpl
demiologist: Robert w. Jones, rodent
control specialist and Harvey l.
Macy Of the Los Angeles field Office,
set out to follow faint trail they
hoped would lead to the source.
First they checked the Sakacs
home for rats with plague carrying
fleas. They found none. Then
they checked the premises where
he worked at Port Hueneme Naval
Base. Again nothing.
The disease detectives learned of
Mr.. Sakacs' trip to a ranch in
Lockwood Valley, deep in the Los
Padres National Forest. the Satur-
day before he became i'll. They
examined the places where he
paused for a glass Of beer or
stopped to look at the scenery. and
again found nothing.
But when they reached the un-
occupied buildings of the ranch,
they found their first clue. Lying
all about. in and out Of the build
ings. were the carcasses Of squirrels
and rabbits.
Working quickly, the health on
eials collected fieas from the dead
animals and burrow openings. then
trapped some live animals. The
fleas proved TO be carriers Of the
deadly plague and, obviously. had
bitten Mr.. Sakacs.
Live animals trapped a half mile
from the ranch buildings showed
no evidence of the plague.
Million-to-One Chance
"Thus." reported Mr.. Jones, 1T
appeared an epizootic had run It's
course In the immediate vicinity
OF the ranch buildings. IAN cpl
zootic is TO animals what an cpl.
demic Is 70 humans
The entire area for miles around