Mrs. A. is a 50-year-old woman, originally from Greece, who came to the United States with her family in 1973. A widow, with three grown children, she has been living near two of her sons and their families. For many years, Mrs. A. has suffered from, non-insulin-dependent diabetes, emphysema, and hypertension. On the day of a family picnic, she developed a high fever and vomiting. She was taken by her oldest son, Thomas, to the emergency department, where evidence was discovered of a severe infection of her kidneys that had spread to her blood.