UNDULANT FEVER PRESENTING THE CLINICAL SYNDROME OF INTERMITTENT HYDRARTHROSIS

Abstract

Malta fever is gradually assuming a prominent rôle among the infectious diseases of this country. In 1906, Craig¹reported the first case of Malta fever contracted in the United States from a natural source and not through laboratory infection. From 1905 to 1924, several reports of similar cases appeared in the American literature (Yount and Looney,²Gentry and Ferenbaugh,³Lake⁴and others). Although there may be some doubt about the source of infection in the case described by Craig,¹the infection in the subsequent cases could with considerable certainty be traced to goat's milk. Although<i>Bacillus abortus</i>of Bang had been recognized as a cause of abortion in cattle for many years, and infection by the organism was known to be widespread among cattle in many countries, including the United States, it was not until the work of Shaw⁵and the later investigations of Evans⁶that it became evident that