ABOUT INFLUENZA

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 108, 31 January 1919, Page 6

ONE CASE IN WELLINGTON REPORTED YESTERDAY A case of influenza was repotted to the District Health Office at noon yesterday as having occurred in Wellington. The ciiso was a serious one, the patient being too ill to bo removed from his home. All the necessary precautions are eaid to liavo been taken as to the isolation of the patient and contacts and there is reported to be no need for any alarm on the part of the public. In another instance four cases were reported from AV'airoa iu the middle of January. Wairoa was a badly infected district, and that sparotlic cases should ocelli- is not regarded as by any means untoward or unexpected. ■So far •no "spread" is reported from such cases, and due precautions were taken to that end. Speaking generally on the recent epidemic, Dr. Watt, District Health Officer, made some interesting observations on epidemics generally and their habits to a Dominion reporter. Referring to the influenza which we experienced last year, Dr. "Watt said it was common to hear it being regarded as a new disease, and it may be, but he \vas not prepared to ssy that it differed materially from the epidemic of 1889-00 or of that experienced in 1841. As with other pandemics, it made its first appearance in a light fuim, such as wo had here in September lust, gained in virulence as it spread, for a .fortnight did its deadly work, aud then seemed to have urn"its course, i'roni information received from Spain—it was quite unfair to call the disease Spanish influenza—England, Egypt, India, and other countries, it followed tlie samo course—the virulent succeeded the niila form. "Hecause of its great virulence and the fact that" so much of its natural food has been removed by the. death of so many people predisposed or susceptible to contagion," said Dr. Watt, "we may not have a recurrence of influenza., At the same time it is quite on the cards that the disease may recur in the winter. He based that opinion on the history ot previous pandemics from which the world had Buffered, notably one in imd-Vic-torian times, when .London was lightly visited one year, but the next two years there was very serious loss of lite. As the virulent followed the mild form fairly swiftly in the case of pneumonic influenza, they might bo fortunate enough to avoid seasonal waves of the disease, but it was not at all certain that such would bo the case. Eespecting the outbreak of inilusnza reported from , Australia, Dr. AVutt expressed the view that he did not tjiii.k the epidemic had been carried there, but was a development of their own infection. There was no doubt whatever .hat the mild form of influenza was prese.it in Australia in September (when we Imd it in New Zealiuui), but local conditions had probably deterred its progress, Ihe 'papers of September last referred to the existence of an epidemic of a light nature, and the Health Department had 'been notified to the same effect, lhe fact that tfnriu weather has been experienced in Australia, and that the public had gone in freely for inoculation, may have retarded the progress of the trouble on the other side. It would be remembered that in New Zealand the spring and early summer were uncommonly cold and wet, which was probably helpful to the endemic. The fact that the mild lorm of influenza preceded the main attacic was in a way providential, for, from Ms observation, a person who had been through tlie mild form seemed to be inoculated against tlie moro severe form, Dr. Watt admitted that the disease had puraled the medical profession tho world over, and they had to be guided by experience of diseases which may, more or less remotely, be considered atm to it, mentioning the theory of the possible relationship of tho N baccilli of severe influenza to the cocci of cerebrospinal meningitis STATEMENT BY MINISTER. ADVICE TO LOCAL BODIES. A statement regarding tho possible action of tho Government to prevent another outbreak of pneumonic influenza in this country was made to a Dominion reporter yesterday by the Minister ot Public Health (the Hon. G. W. Bussell). "The danger of the recrudescence of the influenza epidemic, especially in view of tho fact that-Australia has now becomo seriously infected," said the Mm' ister, "renders it desirable that the utmost precautions should be taken in this matter. The danger of a recrudescence of the sickness is being most seriously watched, and the Chief Health' Officer hns been requested to advise the district health officers that in every case of notification of the disease inquiry is to bo made as to whether the case is a new one or not. The weekly bulletin which is forwarded'to'me by ihe Health Department is being closely scanned, and while notifications are 'still coming in, it is evident that they are, old ones being sent in by practitioners with a view of collecting the fees payable to medical men on notification. A week or two ago I was greatly alarmed on seeing that for the week ending January 13 llvere were 92 influenza notifications for the Auckland district. Tlie matter was at once referred to the Department for inquiry, when it was discovered that 89 of these were sent in by the same practitioner. For the last week for. which, reports are available, that down to January 20, there were b& notifications in the Hawke's Bay district and 70 in Wanganui, and a fpw others in other districts. This is by the way. . "Very large powers are vested in tho district health officers by Clause 18 of the Public Health Act, aud it is intended ...at if there is the slightest sign of a recrudescence these powers shall be exercised to (he full. Persons inay v be required to report themselves, or io submit 'themselves for medical examination, and. persons, places, buildings, ships, animals,-or things, may J)e isolated, quarantined, or ordered to be disinfected. In like manner persons may bo forbidden to leave one district or place in which they are isolated or quarantined. The Chief Health Officer has now been requested to formulate .a scheme to apply to every town and district in the Dominion, in order that this power may be exercised to the full if the need for it should arise. It is always possible to be wise after the event. When the epidemic of October and November struck tlie Dominion we had had no similar experience, and consequently we were to some extent unprepared, but having that experience behind us, the Health Department will, without consideration of private or public interest, proceed to isolate any towns di-. rectly it appears that there is a recrudescence iu that place. "In the meantime a serious obligation rests upon (be local twMiuriHcs. The revelations made as to the social and housing conditions of (he people in somo portions of the Dominion afforded a leseon which, I trust, has been taken seriously lo heart by the local authorities. If another wave of the epidemic should unfortunately start in the Dominion, and the disease is able to feed on the slum conditions which were revealed in fioinu parts of the Dominion, it will be to the everlasting disgrace of the people of those districts. In my opinion (ho things that require urgent and immediate atlention are: (1) The slum areas which undoubtedly exist in somo of,our cities; (2) tho congestion of persons residing in boardinglioiises; and (3) tlie cleansing of homes and back-yards of individual householders. Tlie responsibility is twofold—first on the individual, and secondly on the local authority. There is now iio question under the Public Health Amendment of last session as to upon whom tho responsibility rests. It cannot be pleaded now that there is any question of overlapping or dual control. All the powers necessary, and all (hat worn ashed for, have been gh-en lo the !<icnl authorities, and the'responsibility is theirs, ■"These remarks arc not made in any pessimistic spirit, nor even with a fear I hat , there will be a ..recrudescence, but after what we. have nassed through, it is just as well to look fuels straight in the face, and take no chances. That the policy which I urge the local authorities nn'd the people of the country to adopt," '