Hepatitis Commonest Notifiable Disease

Press, Volume C, Issue 29501, 1 May 1961, Page 22

Hepatitis Commonest Notifiable Disease

"Th* Press" Special Service

AUCKLAND, April 30. Infective hepatitis was now the commonest notifiable disease, the Takapuna health district officer. Dr. C. E. Anderson. told health inspectors at a conference at Devonport at the week-end. The disease, he said, was passed from one person to another by food, water or milk. The germ was swallowed and it passed into the bloodstream. Healthy people could be carriers, said Dr. Anderson. The disease was far more dangerous for adults than children, and it took six weeks before an adult felt like going back to work. There were 1900 cases notified last year, compared with 500 in 1956. Twenty-two persons died last year. Ne Immunisation Nothing preventive could be done by immunisation. Animals did not get it, although flies could play a part Sporadic cases were hard to control. Ordinary chlorinisation

would not kill the virus and it would pass through ordinary bacteria filters. “It is going to be difficult to .control with our present limited knowledge.” said Dr. Anderson. “All that can be suggested is great personal hygiene to ensure that food, water and milk are above reproach. Adequate Washing “The only way to break the cycle from hand to food to mouth is adequate hand washing.” , Dr. Anderson said no specific treatment was known to cure the disease. Doctors treated symptoms as they appeared and guarded against complications. The symptoms, he said, were loss of appetite, fever, abdominal discomfort and jaundice. The latter was not so prevalent a sign. It was a disease of the liver and the virus was present before the symptoms and remained long afterward. Week's Isolation Dr. Anderson said patients

should be isolated for a week after the appearance of jaundice. No quarantine measures could be applied with the existing knowledge. It was not feasible to keep people at home for six weeks. Dr. Anderson told the inspectors not to be disappointed’ if they could find no links with a case, because the incubation period lasted up to six weeks.