Epidemic Respiratory Disease: The pneumonias and other infections of the repiratory tract accompanying influenza and measles — John Shaqi
Epidemic Respiratory Disease: The pneumonias and other infections of the repiratory tract accompanying influenza and measlesOpie, Eugene L. (Eugene Lindsay)
History
Epidemic Respiratory Disease: The pneumonias and other infections of the repiratory tract accompanying influenza and measles
During the investigation at Camp Funston the Commission had the
courteous cooperation of Major Willard Stone, Director of Medical
Service, and received much valuable assistance from Lieutenant A.
McGlory, Registrar of the Base Hospital.
A review of the accurately compiled records of the base hospital was
made in order to obtain a history of the pneumonias and other
respiratory diseases which had occurred throughout the existence of the
camp, established in September, 1917. It soon became evident that a
disease recognized as influenza had been prevalent throughout this
period and its incidence had shown a close parallel with that of acute
bronchitis. At the same time there had been much pneumonia and a high
death rate from this disease. The chart[3] which was constructed showed
that the disease which had been designated influenza assumed epidemic
proportions in March, 1918. Any doubt that may have been entertained
concerning the nature of the disease is dispelled by the characters of
this epidemic which, beginning at the end of February, reached its
height on March 12 and rapidly subsided; 1,127 men with influenza
entered the base hospital between March 4 and March 29 and many more
were treated in the infirmaries of the camp. In April there was a second
wave of influenza and in May a third, each in large part limited to
newly drafted men brought into the camp shortly before these outbreaks.
Corresponding to the epidemic of influenza there was a great increase of
pneumonia, reaching a maximum about one week after the height of the
incidence of influenza; subsequently the incidence of pneumonia
increased after each one of the secondary waves of influenza. Pneumonia
following measles occurred throughout the history of the camp; in
November and December, 1917, there was a severe outbreak of pneumonia
following measles and the mortality was high. Our conclusions in regard
to the pneumonias which occurred during the history of Camp Funston were
as follows:
1. Pneumonia of a relatively stationary camp population, such as that
which occurred among white troops during the period of our
investigation, was in considerable part caused by Pneumococcus Types I
and II and resembled the pneumonia of civil life.
2. Pneumonia of newly drafted colored troops from southern states during
the period of our investigation was caused in great part by pneumococci
of those types which occur in the mouths of healthy men, namely, Types
IV, III and atypical II.
3. Pneumonia caused by influenza occurred after the epidemic of
influenza which we have described. The report states: “With the
information available it is not possible to draw a sharp line between
(1) the pneumonia of the stable camp population, (2) the pneumonia of
the newly drafted southern troops, and (3) the pneumonia following
influenza. It is possible that influenza, in greater or less degree,
also acts as a predisposing factor in the production of the first and
second varieties.”
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