'File 2/7 A Outbreak of Cholera in the Trucial Coast' [‎41r] (81/228)

I l«ft for Sharjah at 2.30 p.m. on tha 7th with Group
Captain Knight P.M.O. Habbaniyah and arrlvad at 4.30 p.m.
Wt wara mat by tha Rasidancy Agent and shortly aftar procaadad
to Dubai to intarview tha M.O. from whom wa ascartainad tha
following s
On tha 31st on A1 Mus a servant of Shaikh Jumma resident
at Shandaqua took bad at night with purging and vomiting,
his local doctor was called in, ha stated tha vomiting &
purging w.r. v.ry s.rious th. patient complair.d of cramps
and look.d "dried up". H. died xX A.M. the n.xt day. He was a
permanent resident of Dubai and had never left tha place.
On tha 4th November^..M. Tha local doctor was again sent
for to sea one Khambar a^arsian resident of Dubai who had tha
tha sy.me Symptoms as tha previous case,realizing their severity
ha called in tha M.O. Dr. Mahmud Yassin. Tha latter who has had
axparianca of Cholera in Amritsar assured me that in his
opinion tha case was undoubtedly Cholera. Tha man died at
sunset. A third case exhibiting similar symptoms a Baluchi
rasidant of Dubai is stated to have died soma time between tha
31st Oct. and 4th November. Ha had similar symptoms but
nothing definite could be ascartainad regarding him.
As far as could be ascertcined tha contacts of tha case
which occurred on tha 31st wara still wall on tha 7th evening
Tha contacts of tha case of tha 4th November wara removed from
their house to another on tha outskirts of tha town. They
aftar 3 days wara quite healthy.
All tha cases wara permanent residents of Dubai and
Shandaqua and had not left tha locality any time.
Taking into consideration tha fact that tha symptoms des
cribed by both tha local Doctor and tha M.O. wara exactly
similar, tha rapid onset, short duration and fatal termination
of tha attack both within tha 5 day incubation period
of cholera and tha possibility of further cases not being brought
to notice, there are ample grounds for considering tha cases
to be "suspected Cholera”. It was unfortunate no material
was available for bacteriological examination which would have
enabled us to make a definite diagnosis. Under the
circumstances Dubai and Sharjah must be considered as
infected localities and necessary quarantine restrictions
imposed. Till the contrary is proved by the non occurrence
of further cases for a period of at least three weeks.
The Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. Agent has been instructed to stop all
passenger traffic by dhows or steamer to Bahrain. B.I. boats 1
from Karachi and Bombay already have instructions that
passengers for the Gulf must have innoculation certificates.
Preventive innocul&tion has already begun and adequate supplies
of vaccine are being sent by plane. The M.O. R.A.F. is
arranging to innoculate Sharjah (uninfected at present)
and the M.O. and local Doctor Dubai, medicines and saline
solution etc. will be supplied by M*0. R.A.F. as required.
Reports of fresh attacks will be sent through M.O.R.A.F.
as they occur one to Bahrain and to Habbaniya. A regular 3 day
progress report will also be sent. Containers for specimens
for Bacteriological examination have been supplied to the
M.O. These will be sent through R.A.F. one to Bahrain and one
to Habbaniya. Shaikh Said was very cooperative and willing
to help in all preventative measures but pointed out that
any attempt at isolation of contacts would defeat its object
/and