BACILLUS MELITENSIS 137 



as the cause of whooping cough. They assert that endo- 

 toxins are formed. The disease is transferred directly 

 from one patient to another by means of spray 

 from coughing, spitting, or talking. The rod grows 

 only at body temperature in the presence of blood or 

 its coloring matter. It is very like the Bacillus influ- 

 enza in size and shape. It is found in the sputum 

 early in the disease as a small ovoid polar staining rod, 

 arranged in pairs end to end. It is stained easily. 

 It does not produce the disease in animals. Sputum 

 should be received in 5 per cent, carbolic acid, and 

 cloths used to wipe the mouth should be soaked in 

 the same solution. 



BACILLUS MELITENSIS 



Malta fever is an acute infectious disease, endemic 

 along the Mediterranean, following a course similar 

 to typhoid fever, but usually of less serious nature. It 

 is caused by the Bacillus 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. The disease is a septi- 

 cemia and endotoxins are probably set free. It is 

 probably not transmitted from man to man. The 

 diagnosis is made by means of blood cultures or by 

 the agglutination test. The bacilli are exceedingly 

 short, almost coccus shape. They are about TSTOT 

 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 infectable. Vaccines of dead cultures 

 may be used. The bacilli are killed by the same 

 methods as the typhoid bacillus. 



