Salt Lake Telegram | 1932-09-08 | Page 4 | U. S. to Vaccinate Farmers Against Spotted Fever; Warning Issued

U. U S. S to Vaccinate Farmers Against Spotted Fever Warning Issued Farmers In the area around the national capital will be vaccinated against Rocky mountain spotted fever next spring jf if the United States pubic pub lie ic health service is able to carry out its ts present plans Every year some cases of this disease occur In the District of ot Columbia and adjacent territory Officers of the e United States public health service who have successfully fought ought the disease in Bitter Root valey val vat icy ley ey Montana where it first appeared have recently found that a certain variety of tick which abounds in this neighborhood also carries the germ of the disease Farmers holiday seekers and others who get into the bushes and high grass of the surrounding surrounding sur rounding countryside are liable to contract the disease through being bitten b by infected ticks The Infected area contains a population lation of about four tour million It is Impossible to vaccinate the entire population of this area as has been done lone in the Bitter Root valley vaHey which has las a population of ot only a few thou thou- sand Furthermore most people in inthe inthe the he Washington area never get into the he country where they would be exposed ex ex- posed to the disease The United States public health service has varned warned them that if they do go into the he country they should keep away from Croin bushes trees and arid weeds and watch for the ticks picking them off ort as soon as possible But for the farmers farmers farm farm- ers of the area who must be constantly constant constant- ly exposed to the danger the federal health officers hope to be able to offer ofer immunity to the disease through vaccination At present the supply of vaccine I against Rocky mountain spotted fever is small It Is both expensive and dangerous to make No commercial firm will vill handle it Several of the federal health workers lost their lives in the production of the vaccine at atthe atthe atthe the Montana laboratory The vaccine gives immunity to the disease for about one year and would be given in the spring In the Washington area as that is the beginning of the season when the Infected ticks appear The end of this seasons season's outbreak in the east is expected within the next two weeks as at that time the cooler weather will have killed off oU most of the ticks Meanwhile persons In the country are warned to pull pun of off the ticks treks as soon as possible after they attach themselves It is possible to be bitten by an infected tick and not to contract contract con con- tract the disease health officials stated particularly if the tick has not been on the body very long But if the tick has stayed on until it became became became be be- came engorged with blood and then dropped off by itself the person persona stands a good chance of contracting the disease