The people's voice., 1957-08-16
By BARROW LYONS
Special to Peoples Voice

SpScldI 10 L IeOple Olce
WASHINGTON, D. C. = In the
weeks and months ahead you are 60
ing to hear a great deal more about
the epidemic of Asiatic influenza ex-
pected to affect large part of the
people of the United States-any-
where from 35 million to 70 million
in all probability. While there has
been some advance publicity from
the office of the Surgeon General,
United States Public Health Service,
this article gives many facts that
haven't come out yet.
On August Surgeon General Le-
Roy E. Burney held a press confer
ence at which he announced the un-
pleasant secret that the Asiatic ''flu"
was pretty we'll seeded all over the
nation today. Thus far its impact,
although extremely unpleasant, has
been fatal to very few cases-only
deaths out of 1000 reported. Nau-
sea, prostration, aching muscles, and
fevers in the range of 101 degrees to
104 degrees, usually followed by ex-
treme weakness for a time, are the
rule. But temperatures of los degrees
have been noted.
Among some of the crowded Asian
communities from which the disease
has come to US, the attack rate has
been well over so per cent of the pop
ulation. Sometimes one-fifth of the
people are down with it at the same
time; but it is not expected that IN
this country the incidence will be so
high. because most of us do not live
in such crowded quarters as the
Asiatics.
IN SAN DIEGO
Most of the cases in this country. it
is believed by the public health au-
thorities, famed out from a naval
vessel that docked at San Diego, Cali
fornia, early in June. Girls assembled
at religious camp at Davis, Cali
fornia, from many parts of the nation
picked it up from the boys on the
vessel. When they returned to their
homes they carried it with them.
The next focus of infection was at
Ohio, where another relig-
ous group of 1900 youngsters from
IS states and foreign countries had
assembled. The psychologists -
physicians trained to trace the origins
md spread of pidemics-believe that
he disease was brought to Grinnell
rom California. A considerable num-
er of the young people contracted it
md carried it home.
Then early in July the Boy Scouts
eld their annual jamboree at Valley
orge. Pennsylvania. United States
ublic Health Service physicians were
n the spot watching for an out
reak. Sure enough, of the $4,000
ssembled Scouts and leaders about
90 developed respiratory ailments.
he cause has since been identified
5 Type-A Asiatic Influenza.
Today, cases of the disease are !,
opping up almost anywhere in the
nited States and multiplying. 1t is !
le first time that health authorities
ave noted virulent influenza to be-
ome epidemic during the warm I
lonths. They are worried about what f
lay happen when the typical 'flu" c
onths roll around. 1t is during the c
oldest months that it generally be- q
omes most prevalent. 7
THE KILLER
The fatal cases usually are compli- v
ted with pneumonia, although not r
ways; and that disease also becomes V
ost prevalent in the winter months. 4
ut today we have drug extremely f
;eful in treating pneumonia-peni- t.
lin. And the commercial producers +
penicillin have been alerted by the
SPHS to have an ample supply on
nd for this fall and winter. The
rcentage of deaths from the epi-
mic should be lower than during
e great epidemic Of 1918-19 which
ept the country-in fact, every
untry in the world.
But the situation is not without n
ngers. Vaccines that have been de- a
loped for other types of influenza p
: not effective for the mutation now tr
IIad A cia+io Uf111'' iLoI1,ico VOC n;