August, 1907...

Melrose, Mass

19

14

TABLE II. Scarlet fever.

In August there had been 17 On milk farm..
cases reported in different
parts of the city. 5 were in 1
family and were probably due
to contact. The other 12
were widely scattered and all
had the same milkman. 2
suspected cases of scarlet
fever were found on the milk
farm. Milk from this farm
was excluded from sale Aug.
26. In the next 3 days 2 new
cases were reported and then
the outbreak ceased.

17 Outbreak on 1 milk route. Ori- On milk farms..

gin traced to producing farms
on 3 of which cases of scarlet
fever were found, or had re-
cently existed.

6 During April and May there had
been an occasional case re-
ported and all could be traced
to school contact. May 23 2
cases were reported; in the
next 2 weeks 7 more cases
were reported. Of these 9
cases, 2 developed in houses
where there had been other
cases, 1 gave a history sug-
gesting contact infection, but
the other 6 gave no clew ex-
cept that they had a common
milk supply. Investigation
of the dairy showed a milker
convalescent and desquamat-
ing. Instigation of proper
quarantine of milker and dis-
infection of premises was fol-
lowed by cessation of out-
break.

Probably by
contact of
cases with
milk utensils.

Milker on dairy Milking and farm.

handling milk.

Outbreak explosive. 227 cases
occurred in 4 days. Of these
195 took milk from "A"
while the other 32 cases took
milk from 17 different deal-
ers. The water supply was
above suspicion. Not all of
the milk routes of this dairy
developed cases. No case of
scarlet fever was found which
could be considered the origi-
nal source of infection. This
dairyman also sold milk in
Cambridge, Somerville, and
Everett, and in the 4 places
there were reported during
the first 20 days of January,
1907, 717 cases of scarlet fever.
In Boston 367 cases, of which
80 per cent were supplied with
milk by dairyman A; in Cam-
bridge 152 cases, of which 85
per cent were so supplied;
Somerville 155, of which 86
per cent used this milk, and
in Everett 43 cases, of which
83 per cent obtained it. Of
the 717 cases, 485, or 67 per
cent, occurred in the 6 days
Jan. 7 to 12, inclusive.
Cases originated from dairy
where there were several
cases of scarlet fever which it
had been attempted to con-

9 Explosive outbreak limited to
drinkers of milk in families
all of which obtained milk
from the same dairy where
there was employed a man 2
of whose children were con-
valescing from scarlet fever.
Precautions were taken, the
man removed from the farm,
and the outbreak ceased.
Outbreak explosive; cases
widely scattered; no social
intercourse; other means of
contagion eliminated; only
thing in common was that
most of the 25 families in-
fected took milk produced on
a farm where a woman con-
valescing from scarlet fever
returned to milking on Feb.
24, while still desquamating,
and that her children had
just had scarlet fever. All
the above cases were reported
between March 1 and 20. This
milkman supplied only about
80 families.

2 45(?)

About 50 cases of scarlet fever
were reported within five
days. Of these 45 obtained
milk from 1 dairy. The sale
of milk by this dairy was
stopped and no new cases
were reported.

7

October. 1905

Clifton.

9

8 March, 1905.

Rochester, N. Y..

27

27

9 February, 1905..

Mount
N. Y.

Vernon, 50(?)