COURSE TAKEN BY MEASLES EPIDEMIC IN NEW HAVEN IN 1941-42

During the past winter measles was epidemic in the city of New Haven. In all, 3,200 cases were reported to the health department. Despite the large number of cases, the vast majority of those contracting the disease were only mildly ill. Complications occurred in less than 0.5 % of the cases.

The mildness of this epidemic probably was a property of the virus causing the disease, although the low incidence of complications may be due in part to the widespread use of the sulfonamide drugs.

The relative slowness with which this outbreak spread was another distinguishing feature. This epidemic required three months to establish itself, and eight months to reach its peak. Previous epidemics of the past decade established themselves more rapidly and reached their zenith within six months, The epidemics of 1930-31, 1934-35, and 1938-39 were all preceded by a four year interepidemic "free period". The outbreak occurred after a three year free interval. This meant there were approximately 25% fewer susceptibles present at the onset of this epidemic. Since measles requires susceptibles for spread, this may explain the slower course.

When the cases were broken down according to their geographical distribution, a difference was observed in the age groups affected. In the crowded lower economic areas of the city, the percentage of preschool children contracting the disease was significantly higher than in the less crowded areas.

COURSE OF MEASLES EPIDEMIC
NEW HAVEN, JULY 1941-APRIL 1942

The epidemic was introduced into the city of New Haven in July, 1941. A small child, aged 3 years, was exposed while visiting in New York City. He returned and exposed the entire group of pupils of the nursery school which he attended. Cases spread slowly from the nursery to involve family members and neighbors in the lower Chapel St. area, and to the remainder of the tenth and eleventh wards by October, 1941. In the next month the outbreak spread to Fair Haven; two months were required for the disease to reach the Annex and Fair Haven Heights. The epidemic then circled around the East Rock area to reach Westville and the Hill section and finally died away in June, 1942 in the Dixwell Avenue area. The map on the preceding page shows the path of the epidemic.

This pamphlet was digitized on October 16, 1998 by Anthony Pacheco as part of the New Haven Health project.