Polio Still Persists In New Zealand

Chronicle (Levin), 26 March 1949, Page 4

Polio Still Persists In New Zealand

WELLINGTON, March 25. PoKomyelitis eases are unfortunateJy still oceurring in New Zealand at app. u.viinately the same rate as during the past year. This was stated yesterday by an officer of the Department of Health. The number of cases reported in eaeh of the last eight weelcs, beginriing with the week ended last Monday and working back, were 24, 22, 41, 81, 4, 15, 20 and 25. This is a total of 182, or an average of 91 for four weeks which is aetually h higher figure than for any montJi except two between the outbreak of tlie epidemic and the end of last year. Tn the peak months, May and September last, 123. and 116 eases respectively were reported. However, the cases are now fairly everily distributed thrbugliout the Dopunion in proportion to th'e population and not concentrated in Auckland as they were at the outset or Wellington as they were in the aggregate for 1948. Some districts have reported that their cases are becoming milder. The Wellington Health District 's figures for the past eight weeks have been 0, 0, 1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 0, a total of eight. There. had never been a year ih New Zealand witliout some cases of poliomyelitis, said the officer, though sometimes none would be reported for sfeveral months at a stretch, It was charaeteristic of the disease that it was endemie with periodical increases in the number of cases. All previous outbreaks in New Zealand, he said, had Come to a peak and died down again 'in 12 months at thfe mosi whereas the present one had already l'asted 16 months. Though this was new to the Dominion two-year outbreaks were experiehced in the United States. He could not prophesy the course the present outbreak had yet to ruii, but would be sUrprised if "it persisted beyond the middle of the year.