Annual report of the Department of Public Health, Province of Alberta.

  • Alberta. Department of Public Health.
Date:
[1943]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report of the Department of Public Health, Province of Alberta. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    15/336 (page 13)
    supervision and control of such carriers is essential in order to ensure that they do not become factors in the spread of infec¬ tion. The co-operation of local health authorities with the Department is essential in the investigation of sources of infec¬ tion, and also in the supervision and control of carriers. Constant vigilance in the supervision of local water, milk and food supplies is required. Pasteurization of milk and milk products carried out under proper supervision is a most effective means of safe¬ guarding such products. It is gratifying to note the increased number of pasteurizing plants in operation in the towns of the province. Pasteurization provides protection, not only against Typhoid Fever, but other milk-borne diseases as well. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Sylvatic Plague Survey. Mr. J. H. Brown, M.Sc., again had charge of the Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Sylvatic Plague Survey, directing one crew in the field. The main work of the Survey crew in 1943 was to supervise infected areas and to make a check on suspec¬ ted areas. During the early part of May, at the request of the Depart¬ ment of National Defence, arrangements were made to train three Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps crews in the preced- ure to be followed in carrying on field work. These crews were subsequently assigned, one to each of three provinces, for the purpose of conducting surveys in areas in which military camps and prisoner-of-war establishments are located. Considerable time was spent in a study of the Tularaemia situation in Alberta. During the summer arrangements were made to enable the Survey crew to visit the Rocky Mountain Laboratory of the United States Public Health Service at Ham¬ ilton, Montana. All of the facilities of the Laboratory were put at the disposal of our Survey crew and every opportunity given to study the work which has been carried on in the Laboratory in connection with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Tularaemia, and other diseases transmitted by ticks. Our grateful apprecia¬ tion is extended to Dr. R. R. Parker, Director of the Laboratory, and his staff for the many courtesies extended to this Depart¬ ment over a long period of time. One case of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever occurred in 1943. The patient was an elderly farmer living east of Orion. The patient was admitted to the Medicine Hat General Hospital and the diagnosis established. The patient made a good recovery and was discharged from the hospital in July. As in previous years, arrangements were made by the Department to vaccinate all persons desiring to be protected against Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in the Manyberries Dis¬ trict. Two hundred persons took advantage of the opportunity. One case of Tularaemia occurred during the early spring and was traced to the handling of muskrat. The survey crew this year devoted considerable time to the making of gopher population studies.