Panic in the Streets by Elia Kazan - Essay Example

Richard Widmark’s character Clint Reed is acutely aware that prematurely warning New Orleans’ citizens about the pneumonic plague would trigger irrational fear and force those infected into hiding whereby, they would go on long vacations further spreading the disease (Kazan). Tony Hillerman’s “The First Eagle”, concurs with Elia’s representation of communicable diseases; however, his focus is on the “Black Death” (contracting the pneumonic plague from exposure to infected dead tissue). Communicable diseases are highly contagious, which necessitates timely and adequate containment before an outbreak that indiscriminately attacks the population (CDC). Discussed below are transmission, shift in vector location, and pollution spread of the bacterium that causes the pneumonic plague as portrayed in Elia Kazan’s film and Hillerman’s novel.

The pneumonic plague, which represents the disease featured in the movie is one such example. Research by the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) identifies Yersinia pestis as the bacterium responsible for causing the pneumonic plague. The disease attacks the respiratory system aggressively. Transmission of the disease occurs either from human to human or from animal to human. Transmission through the former (primary transmission) occurs when a non-infected person inhales air exhaled by an infected person or when a non-infected person is exposed to infected dead tissue.

Conversely, animal-to-human transmission occurs when a non-infected individual eats an infected animal or is exposed to fleas on the infected animal; for example, a 2006 World Health Organization (WHO) study revealed that pneumonic plague infection in Northwest China resulted from human contact with fleas from infected animals during hunting expeditions (CDC). “Black Death”, is the name given to transmission of the pneumonic plague while skinning game. The Navajo tribe in Hillerman’s novel became infected with the pneumonic plague after exposure to the fleas on the infected animals they hunted for food (Hillerman 20).

Migration patterns are responsible for the shift in vectors, which spread the pathogens in different regions. Rats and marmots are the most common vectors that carry and transmit the bacterium responsible for causing pneumonic plague. Inoculation soon after contact with an infected human, animal, or dead tissue proves useful in the successful treatment of pneumonic plague (CDC). In the movie, Reed inoculated all the people that encountered the infected corpse and joined forces with law enforcement agents to track down people that had close contact with the deceased before and after his death (Kazan). Failure to receive immediate medical intervention results in a fatality in less than 48 hours. This explains why law enforcement agents in the film expedited the manhunt by threatening to withhold early treatment from suspects exposed to the infected victim (Kazan).

In conclusion, prevention of a communicable disease outbreak proves to be the only efficient method of containing the disease. Skilled personnel trained in tracing the source of pathogens, assessing the rate of infection within the population, and implementing containment procedures play a pivotal role in preventing catastrophic outbreaks of diseases likely to result in high fatalities. The success of their work hinges on the cooperation of all involved parties such as law enforcement officers and the general population (CDC). Read More