Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-08-27
By PHIL THOMAS

Inc expect "a epidemic OF
Asiatic influenza can become a
real danger to the "operational
effectiveness" of the fleet, a
Navy physician said today.
Speaking to a meeting of
State and territorial health
officers at the National Insti-
tutes of Health in Bethesda,
Capt. John r. Seal. head Of the
Navy Medical Corps communi-
cable disease branch. said some
900 to 10000 cases Of the
disease have been reported
aboard the Navy's ships since
the Asiatic flu broke out in
epidemic force in the Far East
last April.
Some Reach 500
He said some ships where
personnel live compactly and
have intimate daily contact"
have had attack rates Of nearly
80 per cent lasting about three
weeks. Attack rates at shore
bases have been only about 5
to 10 per cent. and no general
outbreak involving servicemen's
dependents has yet been re-
ported in the United States.
Attack rates among dependents
in the Far East "seem to have
been lower than in military
personnel" Capt. Seal said.
This experience has clearly
indicated outbreaks Of Asian
influenza are capable of impair
ing the operational effective
ness of ships and other combat
ready groups of military per-
sonnet in the Navy and Ma
rine Corps" he said.
A gradual spread Of Asiatic
flu from selective groups into
1.-The general population" also
was reported today by a Public
Health spokesman.
THE increase is slight. but
the important thing is the virus
is striking the general popu-
lation more" he said.
The meeting was called at
the request Of Surgeon Gen.
eral Leroy E. Burney.
Fear rs Million Cases
DR.. Burney has said at least
Is to 26 million Americans
will come down with the disease
by this fall and winter, when
the Asiatic flu is expected to
strike the Nation in epidemic
force.
He said a mass incubation
program with a newly de-
veloped vaccine may hold cases
to this range. But this may |
be dependent on the inocula-
ton OF so million people.
Pharmaceutical manufacturers
may produce enough vaccine
as early as December 81. he has
said.
DR.. Burney announced at the |
meeting that the Public Health
Service expects to release an
other 100000 doses Of the
vaccine by Thursday. This
would be in addition to 500. 900
doses released several weeks
ago and another $4,000 re-
leased yesterday.
Gen. Hays Speaks
The surgeon general, FIRST |
speaker of the morning session.
was followed by Mai. Gen. S.
B. Hays. Army surgeon general. |
who characterized the epidemic |
readiness program as q dry
run Of the defensive aspects Of
biological warfare"
The state and territorial
health officers we're told by DR.. |
Justin M. Andrews. director Of
the National Institute ofAl-
leroy and Infectious Diseases. |
that NH researchers have |
found in tests at the Patuxent |
Institution at Jessups, Nd, |
that the new flu vaccine gave |
definite but not complete pro-
lection" to volunteers who
were artiflcially given Asiatic |
flu following incubation.
DR.. Andrews said some SIS
volunteers we're used in the
tests. which are still going on in |
collaboration with the Univer-
sity Of Notre Dame. Isolation
procedures and vaccination of
attending personnel have been
successful in preventing spread
of the disease to other persons
in the institution" he said.
Study vaccine's Merits
The illnesses that appeared
in this study were of moderate
severity and without undue
complications. They we're con-
sidered typical Of epidemic
influenza.
DR.. Andrews said his division