1941 Typhus Control Service City Plan or Map of Savannah, Georgia

This is a unique 1941 city plan or map of Savannah, Georgia, with typewritten and manuscript content highlighting typhus fever cases from 1940 and 1941. The map was used and updated by Georgia's Typhus Control Service to effectively stem a potential epidemic.

Appropriating a Map

High quality street maps of Savannah were scarce, even in the 1940s. Here, the Typhus Control Service has appropriated a commonly available commercial map - in this case promoting the New E.W. Laundry - but which itself was appropriated from an official map made by the City Engineer's Office. Of greatest interest here is the use of this map to coordinate efforts to control the Savannah Murine Typhus outbreak of 1940 - 41.

Murine Typhus in Savannah

Murine Typhus outbreaks in Savannah during the early 1940s did not reach epidemic levels largely due to the concerted official effort to control the dangerous virus. Typhus is typically spread by infected fleas of rats. 'Vent Stopping', which is recorded on this map, was the best method of preventing the spread of outbreaks. By closing off vents and other rat ingress points, the transmission of typhus was successfully limited, staving off a potential epidemic. This map documents that impressive effort.

Publication History and Census

This map, likely created by the Typhus Control Service to illustrate progress in fighting Typhus in Savannah, was published in 1941. This is the only known cataloged example.