Reports and papers on suspected cases of human plague in East Suffolk and on an epizootic of plague in rodents.

  • Great Britain. Local Government Board.
Date:
1911
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Reports and papers on suspected cases of human plague in East Suffolk and on an epizootic of plague in rodents. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    To THE Right Honottrahle John Burns, M.P., President of the Local Government Board. Sir, I HAVE the honour to submit to you reports and papers on suspected cases of human plague in East Suffolk, and on an epizootic of plague in rodents which has occurred in the same county. These reports set out in detail the epidemiological facts of the outbreak, and the action taken by the Board to deal with it. In submitting them, the following brief outline of the course of events is first presented. Human Cases of Illness. On October 2nd, 1910, Dr. Sleigh, the medical officer of health of the Samford rural district, notified to the Board four cases of “ pneumonic plague ” at Preston. Dr. Bulstrode was instructed to investigate the circumstances and to tender such advice as might be required. The results of the inquiry into the character of these four fatal cases of human illness are fully set out in Dr. Bulstrode’s report. The bacteriological diagnosis of these cases was not subse- quently fully confirmed by inoculation tests; but having regard to subseijueiit events, it is a reasonable inference that they may have been jilague; and there is the further ])ossibility that two previous limited outbreaks of illness in the same ]iart of East Suffolk may also have been plague (see pages and 88). Extent of Plague in Rodents. As the inquiry proceeded it became clear that rodents were involved. Rats and hares found dead and examined by Dr. Klein, the Board’s bacteriologist for this work, were pro- nounced, after confirmation by inoculation, to have had plague. At first the infected rodents, which were chiefly rats, were found only in that portion of the Samford rural district which lies between the rivers Orwell and Stour (see map opposite p. vi.). The further investigation which was rapidly made, soon showed, however, that the rats over a somewhat extensive area were infecbed with plague. Towards the middle of November the continuous examination of rats made it clear that there were plague-infected rats in many parts of the Samford and Wood- bridge rural districts and in the adjoining urban districts. A single infected hare had also been found in the Cosford rural district, and a second one in the Tendring rural district. vSubsequeut examination of rats, hares, and other rodents by Dr. Klein has not revealed the presence of infected rodents in other districts. vSystematic inquiry for dead rats has been made; bacteriological examination of any rats regarded as suspicious has been freely undertaken; and every endeavour has been made to localise the epizootic.