THE PLAGUE OUTBREAK IN ILOILO ^ 



By Carroll Fox ' 



{From the Bureau of Health, Manila, P. I.) 



One map 



The outbreak of plague in Iloilo was a small circumscribed 

 epidemic, occurring in the absence of demonstrable rat infection. 



A campaign against the disease was inaugurated upon the 

 theory that infected rats had been introduced and an epizootic 

 had developed among the rodents of Iloilo as a result. All the 

 precautions usually taken under such circumstances were im- 

 mediately observed, such as rat catching and poisoning, rat- 

 proofing and the elimination of rat-breeding and rat-feeding 

 places. In addition to this, a large amount of general sanitary 

 work was performed, such as general cleaning up, repairs and 

 alterations to old structures, and the vacating of unsanitary 

 dwellings. Before the work had sufficiently advanced to expect 

 any reduction in the number of plague cases, the disease sud- 

 denly ceased. In the meantime, no infected rats had been found 

 nor have any been found at any time since, notwithstanding 

 the continuance of rat catching, with laboratory examination. 



Upon a study of the map of Iloilo, it will be observed that 

 there were two distinct foci of human infection; one focus 

 comprised of one house in the nipa district and resulting in 4 

 cases with 4 deaths, all Filipinos; the other focus comprised of 

 three closely associated houses in the hard material district, and 

 resulting in 4 cases with 4 deaths, all Chinese. These foci are 

 shown on the map as X and Y, respectively. 



At the end of July, the first case occurred in house "A" 

 followed by a case in house "B." Then there was a case in 

 house "C." After a short period 2 cases died the same day in 



* Read before the Ninth Annual Meeting of the Philippine Islands 

 Medical Association, held in Manila from November 4-7, 1912. 



' Passed assistant surgeon, U. S. Public Health and Marine-Hospital 

 Service; Assistant Director of Health for the Philippine Islands; associate 

 professor of hygiene, College of Medicine and Surgery, University of the 

 Philippines. 



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