INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 65, 10 December 1919, Page 7

INFECTIOUS DISEASES

FEWER CASES REPORTED POSITION REGARDING INFLUENZA SIGNS OF AN ABATEMENT . For tho week ended December 8, 87 cases of infectious disease wero reported ill the Wellington' Pn'blic Health District, a decrease of -12 compared with the previous week. A satisfactory featuro in connection with tlie latest figures is that influenza notifications sljow a decline of 2S compared with the number reported during tho previous weekly period. There were also six fewer cases of pneumonia reported tluin during the week ended December 1.. Of the <J2 cases of inliuenza, three wero of tho pneumonic tyi-e, two being reported from Wellington city and the other from Poriru.'i. There was also' a severe case at Dannevirke. Officials of the District Health Offico are opt'jnistic in their outlook regarding the influenza position, and aro of the opinion that the slight recrudescence rf the mild form of the diseaso is showing distinct Bigns of abatement. ■ Following aro details-.of the various notifications for the week ended December 1 and the previous week: This week. Last week. Influenza 42 70 Pneumonia S M Scarlet fever 1 j Diphtheria ••••• 13 15 Enteric fever 3 1 Tuberculosis ..... (i 11 Corebro-spauil meningitis 1 0 Measles ....•• li B Erysipelas • 2 1 Puerperal septicaemia 0 4 Total 87 129

Hospital districts from which the various cases wore reported are as follow:— Waiapu; Enteric fever, 1. Wairoa-: Diphtheria, linfluenza, 1. Hawke's Bay: Diphtheria, 3; enteric fever, 1; tuberculosis, 1; influenza, 6; pneumonia, 1. Waipawa: Scarlet fever, 1; diphtheria, 1; tuberoulosis, 1; influenza, 1. Tarai:«ki: Pneumonia, 2. Stratford: Diphtheria, 1; influenza, 5. Hawcra: Diphtheria, 1; enteric fever, 1; influenza, 3; pneumonia, 2. Wanganui: Diphtheria, 2; influenza, 10; measles, 2. Palmerston North: Diphtheria, 7: tuberculosis, 1; cerebro-spinal meningitis. 1; influenza, 2; measles,'l; erysipelas, -2. Wellington: Tuberculosis, 3; influenza, 12; pneumonia, 3: measles, 3. AVairarapa: Influenza, 2. Wairau: Diphthe-r'n, 2. The -influenza notifications cam? to hand from the following localities:—Wairoa, 1 mild; Napier, G mild; Dannevirke. '! severe;. Stratford. 5 mild; Matiaia, 1 mild; Kapong-n, 1 mild; Kawera, 1 mild: Ohaknne, one mild; Bulls, 5 mild; Marlon, 4 mild; Foxton, 1 mild; Feildiug, 1 mild; Welliugbn City. 2 pneumonic. 8 mild; Lower 'Mult. 1 mild; J'crirua, 1 pneumon'c; Masferton, 1 mild; Carterton. 1 mild.

The following cr.se? of influenza were reported between noon Dcce'iiber 4 and .December B:—Auckland, 77 mild, 1 pneumonic, 11 severe; total, SO. Wellington, 25 mild, 4 pneumonic, 1 severe; total, 30. Canterbury, G mild, : 2 pneumonic, 3 severe; total, 11. Otago, 2 mild, 1 pneu- • monic; total, 3. Totals: 110 mild, 8 pneumonic, 15 For the corresponding four-day periods in previous weeks the New Zealand lohils were: November 27 to December 1. 9!) mild, (! .pneumonic. (1 severe.' Ill; November 20 to 24, 109 mild, 7 pneumonic, 7 severe, 123. The Acting-Chief Health Oflicer (Dr. R. H. Makgill) stated, with regard to these ligilres, that the increase for the. whole week'was only II on the previous 'week; and the proportion of severe and pneumonic cases had remained much the same. There was thus no sign of a wave of infection. Auckland notifications were increased by the number of cases in the Waikato, where the influenza was of u very mild iype. In every year, •before even the epidemic occurred/there were always a number of cases of influenza, some severe and some fatal. Death.? from influenza occurred in each year; but little .attention was paid to this till the epidemic came.