41 — 886

lornajarrettblanchard January 1, 1953

–882 US PHS Vital Statistics of the US 1953: Vol. II – Mortality Statistics, p. 370, Table 54.
— 4 Hawaii US PHS Vital Statistics of the US 1953: Vol. I. …Tables for Alaska, Hawaii…, p. 34.

State Deaths State Deaths

Alabama 22 Missouri 15
Alaska 0 Montana 0
Arizona 14 Nebraska 2
Arkansas 31 Nevada 3
California 31 New Hampshire 0
Colorado 4 New Jersey 7
Connecticut 0 New Mexico 23
Delaware 0 New York 12
District of Columbia 0 North Carolina 11
Florida 21 North Dakota 2
Georgia 32 Ohio 6
Hawaii 1 Oklahoma 10
Idaho 1 Oregon 1
Illinois 16 Pennsylvania 4
Indiana 9 Rhode Island 2
Iowa 5 South Carolina 16
Kansas 5 South Dakota 0
Kentucky 20 Tennessee 23
Louisiana 20 Texas 172
Maine 2 Utah 1
Maryland 2 Vermont 0
Massachusetts 14 Virginia 15
Michigan 3 Washington 4
Minnesota 0 West Virginia 4
Mississippi 61 Wisconsin 8
Wyoming 1

Narrative Information

Dysentery: “Dysentery is the inflammation of the colon characterized by frequent, watery stools, often tinged with blood and mucus. Dysentery is usually caused by one of two different organisms—Shigella bacteria or an amoeba, Entamoeba histolytica. Bacillary dysentery is more common in the developed world, while amoebic dysentery more frequently occurs in tropical areas with poor sanitary conditions. Inadequate hygiene is the most common cause of dysentery, but it can also be spread by tainted food, contaminated water, and exposure to human feces, for example, by changing diapers.

“Symptoms of bacillary dysentery, a milder form of the disease, usually appear between 1 and 3 days after an individual is infected. Bacillary dysentery typically begins with a stomachache, followed by diarrhea and fever. Children younger than 2 years old may develop severe infections and should be monitored carefully….

“Because vomiting and diarrhea can lead to dehydration, individuals with dysentery must drink plenty of fluids. If an analysis of a stool sample shows that bacteria are the cause, medication may not be prescribed unless symptoms are severe. In mild cases, symptoms typically dissipate on their own within a week. For amoebic dysentery, patients will likely be given a 10-day course of one or more antimicrobial medications…

“Hygiene practices are the best defense against dysentery. Washing hands after using the bathroom and before preparing food is essential. If traveling to the tropics—where dysentery is common—drink bottled water, even when brushing your teeth, and avoid ice cubes, especially if you do not know what water was used to make them. Only eat food that has been cooked thoroughly.”
(The National Academies of Science. Infectious Disease – Disease Watchlist. “Dysentery.”

Dysentery: “An infectious disease of the colon. Symptoms include bloody, mucus-filled diarrhea; abdominal pain; fever; and loss of fluids from the body.” (U.S. National Library of Medicine. “Dysentery.” PubMed Health.)

Sources

The National Academies of Science. Infectious Disease – Disease Watchlist. “Dysentery.” Accessed 7-29-2022 at: http://needtoknow.nas.edu/id/watchlist/35/

United States National Library of Medicine. “Dysentery.” PubMed Health. Accessed 6-16-2016 at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMHT0025025/ )

Public Health Service. U.S. Dept. of Health, Education, and Welfare. Vital Statistics of the US 1953: Vol. I. Introduction and Summary Tables for Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands. Marriage, Divorce, Natality, Fetal Mortality and Infant Mortality Data. U.S. GPO, 1955. Accessed 5-28-2023 at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsus/vsus_1953_1.pdf

Public Health Service, U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Vital Statistics of the United States 1953, Volume II, Mortality Data. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1955. Accessed 5-28-2023 at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsus/VSUS_1953_2.pdf