Last edited by Wayne Blanchard Nov 16, 2023 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

— 1,845 “Table 19. Deaths from Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” p. 216.

— 22 AL “Table 19. Deaths…1946.” p216. — 9 UT “Table 19. Deaths…1946.” p244.

— 12 AZ “Table 19. Deaths…1946.” p217. — 5 VT “Table 19. Deaths…1946.” p245.

— 26 AR “Table 19. Deaths…1946.” p217. — 14 VA “Table 19. Deaths…1946.” p246.

— 99 CA “Table 19. Deaths…1946.” p218. — 34 WA “Table 19. Deaths…1946.” p246.

— 58 CO “Table 19. Deaths…1946.” p219. — 7 WV “Table 19. Deaths…1946.” p247.

— 17 CN “Table 19. Deaths…1946.” p220. — 88 WI “Table 19. Deaths…1946.” p248.

— 3 DE “Table 19. Deaths…1946.” p220. — 7 WY “Table 19. Deaths…1946.” p248

— 4 DC “Table 19. Deaths…1946.” p221.

— 43 FL “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 222.

— 9 GA “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 222.

— 2 ID “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 223.

–185 IL “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 224.

— 49 IN “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 224.

— 53 IA “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 225.

— 91 KS “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 226.

— 14 KY “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 226.

— 23 LA “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 227.

— 3 ME “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 228.

— 6 MD “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 229.

— 24 MA “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 229.

— 90 MI “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 230.

–216 MN “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 230.

— 17 MS “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 231.

— 97 MO “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 232.

— 29 MT “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 232.

— 55 NE “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 233.

— 3 NV “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 234.

— 15 NH “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 234.

— 26 NJ “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 235.

— 10 NM “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 236.

— 64 NY “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 236.

— 16 NC “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 237.

— 26 ND “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 238.

— 59 OH “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 238.

— 34 OK “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 239.

— 9 OR “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 240.

— 29 PA “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 240.

— 7 RI “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 241

— 7 SC “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 242.

— 35 SD “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 242.

— 18 TN “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 243.

–102 TX “Table 19. Deaths…Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 244.

“Table 19. Deaths from Selected Causes, by Month: US and Each State, 1946.” 216.

— 22 Jan

— 30 Feb

— 22 Mar

— 26 Apr

— 48 May

— 88 June

–261 July

–478 Aug

–386 Sep

–279 Oct

–148 Nov

— 63 Dec

Narrative Information

Black: “In 1946 the Midwest, from the Appalachians to the Rockies, was hit hardest. Minneapolis … took the sad distinction of having the worst polio outbreak of any U.S. city. By mid-August that year, 445 city residents had polio, 28 had died of the disease, and the city took on 300 other polio patients who were transferred in from around the state for care….” (Black. In the Shadow of Polio. 1997, p. 28.)

Johnson: “There were two words parents avoided in the summer months of 1946…infantile paralysis. For the summer of 1946 was marked by the severest epidemic of infantile paralysis in thirty years of recorded health history. Not since 1`916 were there as many reported cases, nor as many states affected.[1]….In one August week, 1,543 new cases of anterior poliomyelitis were reported; an epidemic was on the rampage….And this was the fourth consecutive year of high incidence.

“By the week of August 17 the number of reported cases began to decline, yet the final toll for 1946 was 25,191 cases, second only to the 27,363 cases reported in the nation’s severest epidemic in 1916. Hospitals were crowded to the doors. Physical therapists were rushed to epidemic areas. Epidemiologists, those scientific detectives who study outbreaks for clues to the control of the disease, sped to each affected area to collect material for study in their laboratories. Lumbering mechanical respirators and squat hot-pack machines were unloaded from trains, trucks and planes….

“…the disease struck in unexpected places. In Denver, three infants in a hospital nursery were stricken while confined in extra-sanitary surroundings. One of them had occupied an incubator since birth. A nineteen-year-old mother who accompanied her polio-stricken baby on a mercy flight to the Sister Kenny Institute in Minneapolis learned on her arrival that she had contracted the disease. Five cases were reported in an Illinois trailer camp, and in Alabama three members of one family were admitted to a single hospital with four other cases. In Georgia, a two-weeks’ quarantine was imposed on persons coming into the state from Florida, where numerous cases of the disease had been reported. The health directors of Kansas City, Mo., and Kansas City, Kas., a metropolitan area of more than 500,000 persons closed all public swimming pools and all city-sponsored teen-age activities as the polio rate rose sharply….

“For years they [doctors] had fought virtually in the dark. The polio virus was a smaller-than-microscopic organism which passed easily through the finest porcelain lag filter. They were uncertain whether to call it animal, vegetable or mineral. No microscope in existence could pick it out until the electronic ‘mike’ was developed. With the aid of this new tool, they could see the organism’s shadow. But even that was only the beginning of the work.

“Sometimes the virus turned up in sewage. In one town it was in the milk supply. Sometimes it appeared to enter the system through the respiratory passages. At other times it gained entry to the stomach. In such cases the initial symptoms were different in some respects, consisting of stomach upset but leading into the inevitable stiffening of the neck, and possibly an eventual spasm.

“The virus did its…work in the nervous system, attacking motor nerve centers. This much was known. Other things began to be suspected. It was believed that the disease was highly contagious. It seemed further possible that some persons were immune but might act as carriers. Further, it was suspected that many cases went unreported simply because the attack was too mild to cause unusual discomfort….[2]

“….a serum was developed [a polio vaccine became publicly available April 13, 1955]….” (Johnson, Charles. “Shadow of the Crippler.” Pp. 294-299 in Kartman, Ben & Leonard Brown (editors). Disaster! Freeport, NY: Books for Libraries Press, 1948.

Newspapers on Minneapolis

Aug 29: “MINNEAPOLIS. Aug 29- (AP)– Four non-resident deaths from polio were reported today by the Minneapolis City Health Department as it disclosed there had been no new resident polio cases confirmed since yesterday afternoon. The report listed 16 non-resident probable cases since yesterday afternoon, and four confirmed cases bringing the total since the first of the year to 423. The resident total remained at 627. The State Department of Health today reported the slate polio total since the first of the year at 1,778 with 120 deaths. St. Paul reported a total of 189 cases and 16 deaths, one of the deaths yesterday, that of six year old…” (Evening Tribune (Albert Lea, MN). “Four Deaths from Polio in State,” August 29, 1946.)

Sep 13: “MINNEAPOLIS — AP – Fifteen new cases of infantile paralysis, one of the smallest one-day, totals in recent weeks were reported to the state health department m the 24-hour period ending this morning. The new cases brought to 2,182 the number of cases which have developed in the state this year. Minneapolis has had 688 cases St. Paul 223. There have been 154 deaths in the state. Minneapolis has had 41 St Paul 17.” (Brainerd Daily Dispatch (MN). “2 New Polio Cases in County Today,” 13 Sep 1946.)

Oct 16: “MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 16 – (AP) – Twelve new polio cases today brought new polio cases today brought the Minnesota total for the year to 2,653, the State Department of Health said.” (Evening Tribune (Albert Lea, MN). “12 New Polio Cases,” October 16, 1946.)

Dec 31: “MINNEAPOLIS – AP – A sweeping tragic polio epidemic…made the headlines in Minnesota during 1946…. Topping all other news stories was the infantile paralysis epidemic. Starting in Minneapolis at mid-year, the disease swept within a few weeks to all sections of the state. Before the end of the year a total of 2,846 cases had been reported and 215 persons had died. The epidemic forced cancellation of the state fair and numerous other events and delayed school openings. The outbreak was the most severe in the state in the 35 years complete records have been kept.” (Brainerd Daily Dispatch, (MN). “Polio Epidemic Was 1946 Outstanding State News Story.” December 31, 1946.)

Nebraska

Aug 29, 1952: “….Nebraska had 717 cases, its highest number, in 1848. Its highest number of deaths came in 1946 with 52. Minnesota had 1,663 cases and 124 deaths the same year for its heaviest toll.” (Mason City Globe-Gazette, IA. “Iowa’s Polio Attack Worst in Midwest.” 8-29-1952, 1.)

North Dakota

“In 1946 North Dakota suffered its worst polio outbreak, 492 cases with 28 deaths. For children and adolescents, polio became the fastest growing infectious disease. Statistically, the chance of contracting a serious case was small and the chance of permanent paralysis very small, and the chance of death even smaller. Many more children and adolescents were killed in accidents than suffered death from polio. Polio, however, instilled an intense fear in the population for no one knew when the virus would strike at home.” (Tweton, D.J. North Dakota and the Polio Killer Virus: An Investigative Report. Oct 1965.)

On Polio

CDC: “Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a crippling and potentially deadly infectious disease. It is caused by the poliovirus. The virus spreads from person to person and can invade an infected person’s brain and spinal cord, causing paralysis (can’t move parts of the body)…

“Most people who get infected with poliovirus (about 72 out of 100) will not have any visible symptoms. About 1 out of 4 people with poliovirus infection will have flu-like symptoms that may include—

Sore throat
Fever
Tiredness
Nausea
Headache
Stomach pain

“These symptoms usually last 2 to 5 days then go away on their own.

“A smaller proportion of people with poliovirus infection will develop other more serious symptoms that affect the brain and spinal cord:

Paresthesia (feeling of pins and needles in the legs)
Meningitis (infection of the covering of the spinal cord and/or brain) occurs in about 1 out of 25 people with poliovirus infection
Paralysis (can’t move parts of the body) or weakness in the arms, legs, or both, occurs in about 1 out of 200 people with poliovirus infection

“Paralysis is the most severe symptom associated with polio because it can lead to permanent disability and death. Between 2 and 10 out of 100 people who have paralysis from poliovirus infection die because the virus affects the muscles that help them breathe.

“Even children who seem to fully recover can develop new muscle pain, weakness, or paralysis as adults, 15 to 40 years later. This is called post-polio syndrome.

“Note that “poliomyelitis” (or “polio” for short) is defined as the paralytic disease. So only people with the paralytic infection are considered to have the disease…

“Poliovirus only infects humans. It is very contagious and spreads through person-to-person contact. The virus lives in an infected person’s throat and intestines. It enters the body through the mouth and spreads through contact with the feces (poop) of an infected person and, though less common, through droplets from a sneeze or cough. You can get infected with poliovirus if you have feces on your hands and you touch your mouth. Also, you can get infected if you put in your mouth objects like toys that are contaminated with feces (poop).

“An infected person may spread the virus to others immediately before and about 1 to 2 weeks after symptoms appear. The virus can live in an infected person’s feces for many weeks. It can contaminate food and water in unsanitary conditions.

“People who don’t have symptoms can still pass the virus to others and make them sick.

“Prevention: Polio vaccine protects children by preparing their bodies to fight the polio virus. Almost all children (99 children out of 100) who get all the recommended doses of vaccine will be protected from polio.

“There are two types of vaccine that can prevent polio: inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) and oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV). Only IPV has been used in the United States since 2000; OPV is still used throughout much of the world.” (CDC. What Is Polio? Last reviewed 7-25-2017.)

Sources

Black, Kathryn. In the Shadow of Polio: A Personal and Social History. Da Capo Press, 1997, 330 pages. Partially digitized by Google. At: http://books.google.com/books?id=NedMMb76uOUC

Brainerd Daily Dispatch, MN. “2 New Polio Cases in County Today,” 9-13-1946. At: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/PdfViewerTags.aspx?img=34727844&firstvisit=true&src=search&currentResult=1

Brainerd Daily Dispatch, MN. “Polio Epidemic Was 1946 Outstanding State News Story.” 12-31-1946. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/PdfViewerTags.aspx?img=34728704&firstvisit=true&src=search&currentResult=1

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What Is Polio? Last reviewed 7-25-2017. Accessed 4-15-2019 at: https://www.cdc.gov/polio/about/index.htm )

Evening Tribune, Albert Lea, MN. “12 New Polio Cases,” 10-16-1946. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/PdfViewerTags.aspx?img=35793432&firstvisit=true&src=search&currentResult=8

Evening Tribune, Albert Lea, MN. “Four Deaths from Polio In State,” 8-29-1946. At: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/PdfViewerTags.aspx?img=35792922&firstvisit=true&src=search&currentResult=7

Johnson, Charles. “Shadow of the Crippler.” Pp. 294-299 in Kartman, Ben & Leonard Brown (editors). Disaster! Freeport, NY: Books for Libraries Press, 1948.

Mason City Globe-Gazette, IA. “Iowa’s Polio Attack Worst in Midwest.” 8-29-1952, 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=100490607

Tweton, Dr. D. Jerome. “North Dakota and the Polio Killer Virus: An Investigative Report. Bismarck, ND, North Dakota Studies. Oct 1965. Accessed at: http://www.ndstudies.org/articles/north_dakota_and_the_polio_killer_virus_an_investigative_report

United States Public Health Service. Vital Statistics of the United States 1946, Part II. Natality and Mortality Data for the United States Tabulated by Place of Residence. Washington, GPO, 1948. Google digitized: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsus/VSUS_1946_2.pdf

[1] There were, however, more deaths in 1927 (2,013) and in 1931 (2,139-2,144).

[2] All these things were known or suspected in the 1916 epidemic. See our 160-page document accessible via the Spreadsheet or by cutting and pasting: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/1916-july-sep-esp-polio-esp-nycny-state-3331-nj-1180-pa-414-6745-7000/

1946 — July-Nov esp., Polio, esp. MN/216, IL/185, TX/102, CA/99, MO/97, KS/91, MI–1,845