Incidence Of Influenza High

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 78, 6 August 1948, Page 5

Incidence Of Influenza High

MANY CHILDREN AMONGST VICTIMS From reports gathered about this district it is found that the incidence of influenza is becoming higher. In the Waiohau dis trict the District Nurse for that area reported that there was quite a serious outbreak with a number of mill hands and school children absent with the ‘Bug.’ High temperature, bad coughing and a cold seem to be the general symptoms. In some cases loss of voice results but only for a short while. One Whakatane doctor stated that he is attending about 20 cases of the infection a day. In the Whakatane school, the Headmaster, Mr I. B. Hubbard reported, the secondary department was almost unaffected, though the primary had a large number of smaller children away sick. The Ohope Side school has a considerable percentage of its pupils absent.

The District Nurse, who has met with the illness a lot on her rounds over the past few days, blamed the speed of the spread of the infection on those who have it not taking adequate measures to prevent infecting others. Parents are allowing their children to go to school when they have a touch, consequently they carry .the infection to those who havq not yet contracted it. She considers that it is spread mainly by “Droplet Infection.” This means that a lot of minute drops of the moisture containing the germ of the ’Flu are blown into the air every , time an affected person coughs and fails to cover his or hfer mouth with a handkerchief. The schools, she considers are the worst sources of infection, as one child with a cough uncovered could infect a large number owing to the proximity of,the pupils. Numbers of babies are contracting the disease also. This she credits to the school children bringing home the germ and fondling the babies. Advice she gives for checking the spread is that all children who have an attack of the “Bug” should go to bed for a couple ,of days and be filled up with lemon drinks and the other well-known home remedies. At the first sign of serious symptoms, medical advice should be sought. The most important thing to do is to cover a cough before and after a bout of the infection, and to spend a few days in bed when the attack is on you.

Asked if it could become serious the nurse said it could if adequate precautions were not taken at the right time. Quite a number of complications could arise. The present influenza, outbreak at Auckland has been associated with an unusual number of severe eases of respiratory trouble among children. Treatment is to place the children in steam tents to assist breathing. If this treatment brings >no relief, a tracheotomy operation—involving the opening of the windpipe —is performed.