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13
Reported occurrence of Pneumonic Plague on board the
ss. "Automedon."
Previous Information:
(1) The Weekly Record of Infectious Diseases at Ports, &c., No. 482, for week
ending 24th October, 1928, contained information that a Chinese fireman
had been landed from ss. "Automedon" at Penang, on 18th October,
suffering from Pneumonic Plague, and that the diagnosis had been
confirmed bacteriologically.
(2) The London Agents of Messrs. Alfred Holt & Co., Liverpool, wrote on
9th November to the effect that they understood that a Chinese fireman
had been left in hospital at Penang suffering from Pneumonic Plague,
and asking what steps the London Port Sanitary Authority would require
to take on arrival of the ss. "Automedon" in the River.
Arrival of Vessel in Port of London:
The ss. "Automedon" arrived off Gravesend about 7 a.m. on 14th November,
and was immediately boarded by the Medical Officer, who ascertained that a Chinese
fireman—Wong Fu Shu—was taken ill on 16th October. The ship's surgeon diagnosed
Lobar Pneumonia on the left side. On 18th October, when the vessel arrived at
Penang, the Port Medical Officer of Health saw the case, confirmed the diagnosis, and
sent the patient to hospital, with his bedding and effects. The crew's quarters aft
were disinfected by the ship's surgeon.
On 20th October, the ss. "Automedon " being then at sea, a wireless message
was received from Penang that the case landed there was one of Pneumonic Plague.
On 22nd October the vessel arrived at Colombo, where news was received that the
patient was still alive and progressing. The vessel was apparently not treated as an
infected or suspected ship, though the crew's quarters aft were fumigated with sulphur
dioxide. The vessel proceeded through the Suez Canal without being subjected to any
special treatment.
No other cases of sickness occurred during the voyage.
After medical inspection at Gravesend the vessel was searched, as far as possible,
by a Sanitary Inspector for sick or dead rats, the hatches being removed, but none
were found.
The ship then proceeded to her berth in the King George V. Dock, where she was
moored to the pontoons. Rat guards were placed on the mooring ropes from the
ship end, and the ropes were tarred from the shore end. A rat-searcher was put on
board and a rat-catcher employed.
Shortly after noon on the 14th November your Medical Officer received a cable,
as follows:—
"Suspected Plague ex ss. 'Automedon ' unconfirmed.
"Port Health Officer, Penang."
On receipt of this telegram, and in view of the account of the case and of
the subsequent history of the vessel, it was deemed unnecessary to regard the vessel
as a "suspected ship." At the same time, the vessel was carefully searched for
sick or dead rats, and an effort was made to trap live rats for bacteriological
examination.
The sick man signed on with the rest of the Chinese crew at Shanghai on
24th August, 3 928. From 8th to 15th October the ss. "Automedon" was lying at
Singapore, and on 16th October she anchored at Port Swettenham for 24 hours.
It was on 16th October that the patient reported sick with high temperature and
rusty sputum.
It certainly appears that the original diagnosis of Lobar Pneumonia is more likely
to have been correct than that of Pneumonic Plague. So far as your Medical Officer
can ascertain, this view was taken at Suez.
In spite of repeated search and continued trapping, no specimens of rats were
obtained for bacteriological examination. The vessel appeared to be free of rats.