Human plague in the United States.
To the Editor:— The Aug 5, 1962 issue ofThe Journalcarried a cover picture of a painting by Arnold Bocklin entitled "Plague" and an article entitled "Human Plague in the United States" by Caten and Kartman. This article and the caption next to the cover picture carry misleading statements which I would like to call to your attention. Discussing the distribution of wild-rodent plague in the United States, Caten and Kartman state, "The reason why plague does not extend beyond the 100th meridian is poorly understood." While it is true that all human cases associated with wild rodents for which adequate data are available have been acquired west of the 100th meridian, and this corresponds quite well to the known distribution of wild-rodent plague, as shown by Caten and Kartman, very limited surveys of wild rodents and fleas for plague have been conducted east of the 100th meridian. 1 Many investigators believe that wild-rodent plague does not extend into the eastern states, largely on the basis of the distribution of human cases associated with wild rodents. On the other hand, plague-infected wild rodents or their ectoparasites have been identified from over 130 counties in the western
Severity of Influenza A(H1N1) Illness and Emergence of D225G Variant, 2013–14 Influenza Season, Florida, USA
Despite a regional decline in influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus infections during 2013–14, cases at a Florida hospital were more severe than those during 2009–10. Examined strains had a hemagglutinin polymorphism associated with enhanced binding to lower respiratory tract receptors. Genetic changes in this virus must be monitored to predict the effect of future pandemic viruses.
The Prophylactic and Curative Treatment of Plague
and filtered. This mordantwvill keep for a considerable period of time. The cover glasses are prepared by washing them in a stroig solution of hydrochloric acid. They are taken fromn the acid, wiped witlh a clean cloth, and thorouglhly heated over a bunsen flamiie. A conivenielt way of doing this is to place tllem oni a slide upon a tripod, and apply the fillame. On a cover glass whiclh hias been suffliciently lheated, the film spreads witlh perfect evenness. The tr-aces of acid whiclh are left on the glass mnake it easier to avoid stubsequient precipitation of inordanlt or stainl. Time bacilli are placed oni the cover slip and fixed. The imiordant is then filtered, poured on the preparation, and lheated till steam is given off. Boiling should be avoided, as it leads to precipitation. The preparation slhould be kept at this tem-lperature forthlree minutes. It is then well washed in distilled water, and the staini is added, and' heated in the same way for thr ee or four miiinuites. The stain is mnade by adding i c.em. of a saturated alcoholic solution of gentian violet to lo c.em. of a saturated solution of ammonia alum. This is filtered and poured on the preparation. IThis method can be applied generally. I have found it pdticularly applicable to bacilli of the typhoid and B. coiiii-group. It has been used in the laboratory also for the stainingSli of the flagella of B. cholerte asiat., B. tetani, V. aquatilis, etc. The flagella are clearly defined and of moderate thickness. The advantage of the method is the certainty and rapidity with which results are obtained. Anyone who carries out the instructions given above will after a very little experience obtain without fail successful preparations.