RELATIVE FREQUENCY OF "SUBCLINICAL" POLIOMYELITIS

Abstract

IN A coordinated study of poliomyelitis carried out in Chicago in the summer and fall of 1945¹ daily temperature determinations were made on a number of the most intimate child contacts of patients with poliomyelitis. As a control similar studies were made on noncontacts living in the same block as the patient and on control children of the same age living ten and fifty blocks distant.^1a By this procedure many fevers were detected in children who had no complaints of illness. As many of these as could be persuaded were checked several weeks later by examination of the spinal fluid. It is the purpose of this paper to report the incidence and clinical features of illnesses observed among these contact, noncontact and control children. MATERIALS AND METHODS After the entire project had been completed a detailed analysis of the work done by different investigators revealed that only those