OTAGO HAS SEVERE BOUT OF INFLUENZA .

Chronicle (Levin), 22 June 1946, Page 3

OTAGO HAS SEVERE BOUT OF INFLUENZA .

HUNEB1N, June 21. A learning liiat influcn/.a ivliicli is at present in Otago in epidemic ]>roportions, sliould not' be treated lightly, was given today by tlre Aledieal Officor of Health, Hr. G. O. L. Hempster, who stated that there had been one oi: two deatlis among children in poor health. He advised parents to, send children with infection to bed, keep tliem warm and_cyll in a doctor. "The infection is of a pneumococcal nature,/' Hr. Hempster said, "and is widespread in its incidence. A number of 'children are showing intestinal symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea and one or two deatlis have. been reported during the week, one of an infant. The fatal cases, however, have been of children in generallv poor headtli. " Hr. Hempster said that as iufluenza was not a notiiiable disease, it was difficult to state to what extent it was present but *it was apparent from repovts of headhiasters of scliools tliroughout Otago that it was widespread and a large majority of the children absent from sehools were sulfering eitlier from the infection or severe eolds. So far as the secoudary sehools in Dunedin are concerned, iuquiries sliow that," while atteudancos have been affected iu some cases above the average, there does not appear to be an abnormal muount of abseuteeism. Business firms, factories and offices which have suffered stalf sliortages during the past few weeks, are still severely alfected but the infection does not seem to be of a serious" nature, many of those eoutractiug inllucnza boing absent for only two or three .days. Some, however, havebdcu confined to their beds for a week or more..