THE EPIDEMIC.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16426, 21 January 1919, Page 2

THE EPIDEMIC.

EXCLUSION FROM AUSTRALIA

FINE quarantine achievement.

There is little probability now, after a three months' campaign, of pneumonio influenza securing entry to Australia, -which in this respect occupies a unique position in the world (pays the Melbourne "Argus'' of 9th inst.). Visitors to the Commonwealth speak very highly of the splendid achievement of the Federal Quarantine Department in preventing the infection of the continent and two American engineers who know Sydney well have remarked that the success was worth "boosting." In response to enquiries the director of Quarantine (Dr. J. L. Crompston) made the following statement: The position to-day is sufficient to iuctifv some considerable degree of c&tifidence that the problem which has enthe attention of the quarantine service for the past three months is approaching complete solution. Since the first week in October the quarantine Stations throughout Australia, without a single exception, have been actively engaged in dealing with cases or contacts from infected ships. The points of attack have varied from time to \fc the beginning of the epidemic in Java and the Federated Malay States placed the point where resist1.;."d to bo offered to the invasion of the disease along the northern coast. The spread of the disease from America and New Zealand brought the quarantine stations at Sydney and Melbourne into full activity, and up to the present the attacks at these two points from New Zealand have been .repelled. Comparatively early, also, the disease was brought from Singapore to Fremantle, and shortly after this the Fremantle and Albany stations were brought'"into their fullest use by infected vessels from South Africa. FOUR COASTS ATTACK. Although the attacks have come on the* four coasts of Australia at a number of different points, and from over 30 different infected vessels, the position to-day is that at Sydney, after having treated approximately <00 cases, there has been no new case ot infection since December 20, making 18 clear days, since any evidence of active infection showed itself at that sV> tion. At Fremantle, after having treated over 400 cases, tho present position is that there-has been no fresh case since December 31st, making now eight clear days since there has been any evidence of active infection at that ijoint. At' these two points, where the activity lias been greatest and where the concentration of infection was t the time boing intense, it can now be claimed that tho measures that have been applied have been completely successful. At Adelaide the total activity has been small. The actual number ot cases dealt with at that station has not amounted to more than 2o throughout the epidemic, and there has been # a that station none of the cases of virulent infection that have been so fatal and have presented the greatest difficulty in treatment and in infection control. The sequence of eases at that station is not yet quite complete, tour mild cases having occurred within the last four.days, but it is confidently expoctedSthat the infection will, -witmn a few days, have been brought to a close." Tho measures which are -being ~ applied have proved so successful in 'the other quarantine stations thatthore -is not tho least reason to anticipate >■, that there will be any failure_to con- >•' trol infection at this station. It would ( y .seem .now to be justifiable to claim 1 that the quarantine pleasures have been < 1 vory thoroughly tested; that they_ nave i been successful through the maximum • period of strain; that it is not at all i likely that there will be_ another such period of intense infection riskand ( that it requires only, a continuation ot I the application of the same i to cover the occasional casual case which may be discovered on any vessel arriving in Australia. AUSTRALIA'S RECORD. As has been from time to time re- j ported, the epidemic in overseas countries has now practically ceased, ana ; there is sound reason for the belief that there will not be any series oujn- : fected vessels,- in the future similar to : that which has been dealt with in the last three months. Altogether approximately 80 vessels have been dealt with m Quarantine, and of these 30 liaye been definitely infected. Over 1100 persons actuallv ill with influenza have been treated, and between 10,000 and 20,000 contacts have been detained and properly treated. Much of tho success which has Been so far attained depended upon the fact that action was taken at an early stage. As far hack as June. 1918, the news of an increasmc severity in the prevalent epidemic of influenza in Europe reached the quaratine service official ad unouirial channels. Tho progress of the disease was V at cliecl by responsible officers of the quarantine service, and d<scussions from time to time took as to the best means of dealing with it should it become a real menace. At the beginning of October, when it was first learned .that cases were occurring in South Africa, instructions were immediately issued to all quarantine officers to detain for treatment any vessel showing cases of influenza on board. When official warning was received from South Africa that the disease was showing manifestations known to indicate an unusual severity, definitely stringent action was take immediately with reflect to all vessels from that country. These measures were applied at a later date .in the case of all vessels from Isew Zealand and all other infested countriCS' TRIBUTE TO THE STAFF. It need hardly be said that with vessels arriving in ports at all hours of t.io day and night, and with frequently as many as from seven to ten vessels at one quarantine station at one time, the whole staff' throughout the quarantine service lias been working without regard for time, meals, or physical strain. The satisfactory results which have attend-, ed the efforts of the quarantine service to prevent the infection of Australia by this disease are* due to the self-sacrific-inc energy of the medical officers the service, to their ready adaptation of their methods to the changing conditions, and to their whole-hearted devotion to the problem which they had to The disaster which would have attended a failure of their efforts cannot be properly appreciated by any persons other than themselves, for no • • other persons have seen or could have seen the extremely severe and distressing forms of the "disease which the medical officers of the service were called upon to relieve every day during tho past three months. The campaign of quarantine against" inlinenza has not been so much a matter of administrative policji directed from a central office as a daily test of judgment, reliability, and devotion to duty of the officers actually engaged in the work on the quarantine stations. It is to these officers that any credit for a succcssful result must , be given. ; It is, of course, impossible to apprej ciate adequately the work of the nurses and the lay staff generally. Their ef- : forts have been untiring and skilled to a degree, and will be brought under notice in the proper direction at a later stage. Tho problem was at all times • one of measures to he employed to guard against infection risks, and pri- • , niarily the suefcess of the campaign de- ■ ; pended upon the work of the medical ; | officers particularly concerned with the [direction of the quarantine measures.