Hoof and Mouth

On the banks of the Colorado River, borderline of Arizona, Amelita Galli-Curci, was halted by Arizona authorities. She was only one of thousands so stopped.

To her surprise she learned that the hoof-and-mouth disease had begun to rage among the cattle of California, that Arizona had taken fright and had promptly clapped into quarantine all travelers from that direction. Humans are mildly susceptible to this malady, and are capable of transmitting it through their persons or luggage. Galli-Curci and other motorists were therefore disinfected at Yuma.

Hoof-and-mouth disease is a fever occurring chiefly among cattle, sheep and goats, characterized by the appearance of an eruption of vesicles on the mucous membranes of the mouth, the udder, or the delicate skin between the hoofs. When the vesicles break, a contagious liquid runs out, transmitting the disease from animal to animal. Man may contract it from intermediary objects, from direct contact with the infected animals, or from their milk. The disease often occurs among milkers and handlers of cattle. It is mild and not fatal to man.

The causative microbe of the disease is still unknown. A number have been cultivated from the virus, but their identity with the germ is doubtful. It may be destroyed by heating to 60DEG Centigrade, and has been demonstrated by German investigators to be capable of passing through the pores of a porcelain filter. It probably belongs therefore to the class of ultramicroscopic organisms called filterable viri. One attack of the disease usually confers immunity on the cattle for several years, and animals have been imunized artificially by dosages of the sera of infected animals.

The first appearance of the present outbreak was at a large dairy near Oakland, Cal., from unknown source. A quarantine against shipment of hoofed animals, disinfection of cattlecars, hay, etc., was declared.