TYPHOID EPIDEMIC IN CHICAGO APPARENTLY DUE TO OYSTERS

Abstract

From Nov. 30, 1924, to Jan. 21, 1925, there were reported to the department of health of Chicago 129 verified cases of typhoid fever. The normal expectancy for this period, based on a previous seven-year nonepidemic average number of cases reported weekly, is thirty-three cases. A special effort was made to get all cases reported. December 9, when an excess of twenty typhoid fever cases had been reported, a postal card was sent to all physicians in the city, calling attention to the outbreak. A similar notice was printed in the<i>Bulletin of the Chicago Medical Society</i>, December 11. All hospitals in the city were telephoned to regarding the prompt reporting of cases. The date of onset of the epidemic is given as Nov. 30, 1924, because on that date four cases were reported. During the previous week only four cases were reported. During the preceding twenty-nine days of November,