MALTA FEVER

Evening Star, Issue 19619, 27 July 1927, Page 11

MALTA FEVER

CAUSATIVE OKGAXISM. Tlio germ that causes premature calving in cows has been found to cause a disease in man that appears to be identical with the nndulant or Malta fever of Europe. Miss Alice C. Evans, bacteriologist of the United States Public Health Service, has issued a general warning through the American Medical Association that physicians bo on the look-out for this previously little-sus-pected disease. In the countries around tho Mediterranean people contract nndulant fever from handling infected goats, or by consuming their milk or cheese (states 'Science Service’)- In the United States cattle and bogs have been incriminated as the carriers of the causative organism which is believed to be transferred to humans in the same way. Some unknown factor, however, has probably prevented tho disease from becoming ns common in America as in sub-tropical countries of Europe. In recent years cases have been recognised in various regions throughout the United States; but Miss Evans points out that " judgment as to how common it is hero must be deferred for at least a few years.” The diseases with which it is most likely to bo confused, according to medical authorities, are malaria, acute rheumatism, typhoid tuberculosis, and the more recently discovered disease, tularemia, that is transmitted to man by rabbits. Miss Evans cites cases of nndulant fever in which cattle are believed to have been the infective agent from such widely separated countries us South Africa, Italy, Palestine, and the United States.