Report on the outbreak of plague at Fremantle.

  • Western Australia.
Date:
1903
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Report on the outbreak of plague at Fremantle. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

    6/18 (page 4)
    room at the back of a tailor’s shop near the corner of High and Henry Streets, and living in a suburb with her parents and the rest of the family. These “ contacts,” to the number of six, were sent to quarantine. She passed through a severe attack, but recovered. Three days later another case was reported—a yardman employed and living at a hotel at the corner of Mouatt and Phillimore Streets. The hotel was at once closed and quarantined, and the occupants, numbering 15, segregated. This patient died the following day. The next case was reported on 19th—a youth employed in a hard- ware shop and warehouse, corner of High and Mouatt Streets, and living in a suburb. The seven members of the family were removed as contacts, and both premises disinfected. He eventually died on February 24th. These three cases seem to have been the-climax of the outbreak. The next was reported five days later—a very mild one—a man out of employment, living in a common lodging house, who had been ill for five days. All the other occupants were sent out as “contacts ” (26). The next and last case was reported two days later—a nightman working all over the West Ward, and living in a suburb. He died two days later. In Appendix I. is a table showing cases, etc. I have included the column “ cases among contacts,” because it is usually given ; but I think it misleading. It might seem to imply that they occurred because they were contacts, which is not the case. There have been no further cases to date (24th March, 1903), though a few infected rats are still being found. As we have not the means for making extensive bacteriological investigations, we only confirmed in one case. A guinea-pig was inoculated with an agar culture made from gland of first fatal case (second case), and died in four days with very typical plague. It will be seen that the outbreak was short and sharp—eight cases (of which four died) within a month—one of the highest mortalities in Australia ; but the disease has always appeared in a severe form in this town, the mortality generally being from 50 to 100 per ceut. Rats.—Energetic measures were taken to exterminate rats. When the first case occurred, there was the usual statement that there were no rats in the place; but when the patient recovered he stated that it was overrun with them. The two men were sleeping, with others, in rooms in the back yard, which were infested with vermin, judging by the clothes, etc., in the rooms. These rooms also abutted on a shed, which had an old and broken floor nailed on