The Health bulletin [serial] - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

PUBLI5AED BYTAE NRTA CAROLINA STATE 5*>ARD»/AEALTA|Vol. 66 DECEMBER, 1951 No. 12J. W. R. NORTON, M.D., M.P.H., State Health Officer JOHN H. HAMILTON, M.D., EditorCOMMUNICABLE DISEASE CONTROL INCIVIL DEFENSEC. p. Stevick, M.D., M.P.H.Director, Division of EpidemiologyNorth Carolina State Board of HealthThere seems to be considerable diflacultyin arousing interest in civil defenseon the part of most governmentalagencies and individual citizens.We in the field of public health areprobably much less affected by thislack of enthusiasm than is any othergroup because we have always had astrong feeling of urgency aboutstrengthening and improving the healthand well-being of the population, and,basically, a civil defense public healthprogram is merely a sound and efficientpeace-time program with certainchanges in emphasis and a few additionalresponsibilities. This principleapplies in particular to communicabledisease control.Commimicable disease control forcivil defense purposes requires considerationof the following pertinentfactors:Factor No. 1. Problems created bymovements of the population duringmobilization as well as following a disasterin a distant part of the country.I feel that both of these types of populationdisturbance should be consideredas part of civil defense and that theeffects of mobilization particularly requireaction now. Certain sections inthe eastern part of North Carolina arealready facing serious housing and sanitationproblems. The local ratios ofpublic health personnel to populationare becoming increasingly inadequatein those areas. The entire state is involvedat this time in the movement ofindividuals and families in connectionwith military service and industrial employment.Such conditions as these setthe stage for various communicabledisease problems. Where housing andsanitation become extremely bad wemight expect an increase in dysenteryand other enteric diseases. Venerealdiseases may increase. Meningococcusmeningitis may become a greater problem.For the state as a whole, influenza,diphtheria, and pertussis are almostcertain to increase.Factor 2. Importation of diseasesfrom foreign countries due to increasedtravel of civilian and military personnel,and the difficulty of maintainingadequate national quarantine proceduresunder emergency conditions.This is another problem we face rightnow. Up to September 1 we have hadtwelve Korean War veterans reportedas having malaria relapses after returningto this state. Smallpox is nowprevalent in many countries from whichpeople are entering the United States.Several county health officers in thisstate have been notified in recentmonths of exposed persons visiting theirareas who were subject to observationfor the duration of their incubationperiods. Yellow fever has recently ap-