Spread Of Influenza Causes Alarm

Chronicle (Levin), 10 January 1949, Page 5

Spread Of Influenza Causes Alarm

Received Sunday, 7 p.m. LONDON. Jan. 8. The Freneh influenza epidemic has | the same symptoms as at the beginning of the disastrous 1918/19 epidemic, according to an influenza specialist, Professor Moreau, says Reuter 's Paris correpondent. The Left Wing Sociahst newspaper Coxnbat quotes Professor iMoreau as saving: "The epidemic is far more serious than certain official connnuiiiques pretefid. ' ' The Combat declared that four recent cases were f'atal and deaths had occur- j rtd at Paris hospitals in the last few days.The Left Wing Pranc Tireur, says the Pasteur Institute will sliortly produce a vaccine usable against all fifty or so virus responsible for the epidemic, The Associated Press Rome eorrespondent says the influenza epidemic which put half of .Rome in bed in Decomber, had spread to the Turin area. 1 Children under five were especialiy hard hit. Three have ali'eady died and 24 are said to be near death while manv are seriously affected. Anxious citizens of» Milan bought up all available peni- 1 cillin. The Milan health authorities telegraphed the High Oommissioner of ' ITeath at Roine urgenty seeking new supplies. Britain Keeps Watch. A British Ministry of Health official said the Ministry was onjhe alert keep•ing in full working ordef'.its "fiu sjiotting" system organised {q cooperation wi.th the Medical Re^earch,,Council and virus laboratories-of thq, p^jblic, health laboratory service. ,,There were 29 deaths in the wpeks' -to Janu-ary 1 froni i Iifluenza , iiv tHe 126 big towns of Englaiitl ainl Wales eovering a population of about 20,000,000. This compares with 2o deaths' t'he'week before a iul 'kio for the corresponding week a year ago. Xeither fthe jnain influenza virus known as " A ^ 'aud. "B " so far this winter have been identified,.in Brifain. Ihe "spotting" system, in. cooperation with the World Health Organisation, is being instituted on a wqfldwide scale. The British LTnited Press Amsterdara eorrespondent says the influenza epidemic, has reached Southern Holland. Many cases are reported in Limburg and North Brabant.