128 THE ACUTE SELF-LIMITED INFECTIONS 



rarity. It is nevertheless an infectious disease, entirely 

 comparable in its origin, course, transmission, and 

 epidemic character to true typhoid fever, and the same 

 precautions of disinfection must be observed. 



MICROCOCCUS MELITENSIS. 



Malta fever is an acute infectious septicemic disease, 

 endemic along the Mediterranean, following a course 

 similar to typhoid fever, but usually of less serious 

 nature. It is caused by the Micrococcus melitensis. 

 Goats harbor the organisms and pass them out through 

 the milk, an important food in Malta. Persons can 

 be infected by introduction through a wound. It is 

 probably not transmitted from man to man. The 

 diagnosis is made by means of blood cultures or by 

 the agglutination test. The bacteria are of rather 

 elongated shape, by some observers taken to indicate 

 that they are bacilli. They are about y^irini inch long, 

 single or in pairs. No motility is seen, and no spores 

 are formed. They stain easily and grow well in ordinary 

 media at 37 C. or 98 F. Monkeys are the only animals 

 which can be artificially infected. Vaccines of dead 

 cultures may be used. The bacilli are killed by the 

 same methods as the typhoid bacillus. 



BACTERIUM INFLUENZA. 



Influenza is also called la grippe or grip, and is an 

 acute catarrhal disease usually involving the mucous 

 membrane of the upper respiratory tract, but 

 also penetrating to the deeper parts. Its causative 



