Flies And Spread Of Disease

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 16, Issue 13, 30 October 1950, Page 5

Flies And Spread Of Disease

With the return of warm weather flies are again appearing and will constitute a serious menace to the health of the community for the next few months.

As an example to the public the Whakatane Borough Council has arranged a “clean-up” week, in an endeavour to clear the Borough of unnecessary rubbish that might serve as a breeding place for flies. The public is urged to support this clean up campaign, and at the same time to take stock of their own premises from the fly breeding poin,t of view.

Keep refuse tins clean, covered and flyproof; see that the pan privy is flyproof; do not accumulate garden refuse and if you have a compost heap see that it is covered with earth and sprayed with a suitable larvicide. It is easier to kill flies as larva, than when they reach the adult stage. Borax and sheep dip are good larvicides, and D.D.T, is excellent for killing adult flies. One breeding place is a menace to the whole district, and householders will be helping themselves and their neighbours by observing the above simple rules. Bacillary Dysentery, Typhoid, Infantile Diarrhoea and Poliomyelitis, are four of a number of diseases that can be spread by flies and Bacillary Dysentery may be taken as an index of the hygienic state of a community. o The Gisborne Health District, of which Whakatane is a part, has a bad record for this disease. In 1947 more than fourfiftfls of the notified cases of Dysentery in the Dominion occurred in the Gisborne Health District. In 1948 and 1949 due at least in part to an extensive anti-fly campaign, the incidence was greatly improved but 1950 shows every sign of returning to the 1947 level unless active steps are taken to combat the fly menace. The dysentery germ lives in the human bowel and if privies are flyproofed it is not possible for flies to become contaminated, and so spread the disease. Bacillary Dysentery can be a fatal disease and two deaths have occurred in this Health District already this year. However, mild cases and symptomless cases also occur and. these are a further source of infection. For this reason handwashing after using the toilet is important to prevent contamination of food by possible carriers of the germ. Anyone can be a carrier, so remember that the elementary rule of hygiene “Wash your hands after using the toilet” is of particular importance during the summer months.