THE RELATION OF GOAT’S MILK TO THE SPREAD OF 
MALTA FEVER. 
1 
By John F. Anderson. 
Passed Assistant Surgeon and Assistant Director Hygienic Laboratory, Public 
Health and Marine-Hospital Service. 
Recently it has been shown that Malta fever is conveyed by means 
of the milk of goats infected with the specific organism of the dis- 
ease. While the disease may undoubtedly be spread by other means, 
the use of infected goat’s milk in Malta is by far the most important 
| factor. 
Malta fever is a specific febrile infection caused by the Micrococcus 
melitensis discovered by Bruce in 1887. The fever is of an irregular, 
recurring or undulating type; in a typical case it lasts for several 
weeks, followed by a period of a few days or weeks of a relative 
apyrexia, which is again followed by other febrile periods. 
Clinically, Malta fever is usually characterized by profuse perspi- 
ration, constipation, frequent relapses, often accompanied by pains of 
a rheumatic or neuralgic character, sometimes swelling of joints or 
orchitis. The disease is characterized by low mortality and indefinite 
duration. 
Malta fever smolders endemically on the island of Malta," at 
Gibraltar, and other places on the Mediterranean basin. At times 
the number of cases at one place constitutes an epidemic. Bruce 
believes that one attack confers a definite immunity against subse- 
quent attacks. Strangers particularly, visiting in the endemic focus, 
are liable to infection. On account of the almost invariable tend- 
ency to undulations of pyrexia! intensity Malta fever is often called 
“ undulating fever,” a name proposed by Hughes. The disease is 
also known as Gibraltar fever, Mediterranean fever, rock fever, etc., 
depending upon the locality. 
The following is a list of places from which Malta fever has been 
reported : a 
a Ibid. Pt. 2, p. 13. 
(195) 
