PLAQUE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1038, 30 January 1911, Page 5

PLAQUE.

THREE DEATHS AT HARBIN. By T«legra.ph—Press-Association-CopyriEht. (Rec. January 29, 5.5 p.m.) St. Petersburg, January 28. A Russiau lady doctor, and two medical students at Harbin, in Maiichuriaj have died of plague. PRECAUTIONS IN NEW ZEALAND. (By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) Auckland, January 20. 11l referring to tho outbreak of plague iu China, described as tho most contagious and virulent in the world's history, Dr. Magill, chief health officer at Auckland, stated that most of the known cases of infection wore from, human to human. Infection from animals to human was caused by means of (leas, and fleas may be carried by rats all over tho world, and thus distri-' buto disease. It was thereforo possible that bales of furs harbouring rats might easily become tho conveynnco of plague germs from port, to port. Tho furs themselves could hardly bo tho means of carrying infected fleas, even though off animals that had died of plague, because the germ dees not survive very long away from the living body. Apart from tho question of rats and fleas, tho health officer said thoro was always the danger of tho discaso being spread by ships visiting infected ports, and all vessels from Manchuria would bo eyed with fcuspicion. Evidently tho plague so rampant was of tho pncttmonic type, tho most virulent of nil diseases produced by tho climatic conditions and habits of the peoplo of the area alfecled in China, and it was possible, that if tho germ was carried abroad it would go back to the bubonic typo which formed the majority of eases that, havo occurred in Australia and New Zealand. There was a chance of the infection being carried out In Australia iind thence to New Zealand, thus emphasising tho need for local authorities to maintain their campnign against tho rodent, especially to keep tho water, front free of rats.