M 83-
ANTI-PLAGUE WORK.
No cases of plague occurred during the year.
518 smears from rat spleens were examined from the Medical Officer in Charge of Victoria Mortuary, who carries out the daily inspection of rats. No cases occurred in which B. Pestis could be identified.
Local rodents examined were as last year.
Rattus Norvegicus.
Rattus Rattus.
Mus Musculus.
The number of fleas examined and identified during the year was 1,842 obtained from 281 rats caught alive.
The cheopis index was 6.33, an increase of 1.61 over last year.
The species identified were as follows:-
IDENTIFICATION OF FLEAS.
Rats caught. FLEAS. X. Cheopis Ctenocephalus Ctenopsylla Cheopis Index. 281 1,780 1,842 11 51 6.33CLINICAL AND BACTERIOLOGICAL EXAMINATIONS.
The total number of examinations carried out was 10,221, being an increase of 809 over last year. Details are shown in appendix A.
EXAMINATION OF BLOOD SERA FOR SYPHILIS.
This section of the work of the Institute continues to rapidly increase, a total of 2,453 examinations were carried out during the year, an increase of 712 examinations over 1929.
The following Table shows the results obtained together with the race and sex incidence of persons affected.
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