INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 199, 18 May 1920, Page 8

INFECTIOUS DISEASES

BIG INCREASE IN INFLUENZA ■; FIGURESFOR LAST WEEK \ '■■'>'■■'•: '■'' -—: — '..-*' '■'■.'. WELLINGTON REPORTS OYER. ':"■>/ 300 CASES ~! - i POSITION REGARDED AS REASSURING! . "; The significant feature.of the returns of .infectious diseases notified from vari- ; ous parts. of tho ; Wellington' public ■ heal;h district,for the week ended noonyesterday,' was.; the'increase of 52ji in the .- numbar' J .of cases of influenza, compared : with the figures, for- the previous week Altogether, 798 influenza notifications -•• were received• during the week.by the ; District Health OflrSe, of which 20 related to-pneumonic cases, three to ■■' 'eevev-y and 775 to mild cases Bneu- : moni.u cases were as follow:— .Wellington "city,' 7; lower Hutt, .1; , .Levin, 1; Featherston, 1; Foxton, 3; '.Paimerston North, 1; Wanganui, 2; Ita- '.' ponga 1; New Plymouth,. 2, and Have- '•■.-'. lock 1 Tn addition to the seven cases '. or • the pneumbnio type/; 325 mild ■ and 'two severe ,eases : were notified.from Wellington city. . ."• . Statement by Health Officer. •''.- : Tho District Health Officer /(Dr I. ' E. FarisV stated yesterday that; so far ■•' as- Wellington city ■ was ' concerned, the ' position - was reassuring in that ..the ratio of pneumonio to-mild, cases was , vnot increasing unduly "At the same time,"'added Dr Paris, "it is as well ' to reiterate' the warnings that, have "■■■ beet .given 1 in with regard .to influenza. People should not treat mildtypes of the/ disease lightly. Persons .who have temperatures should ; not go out of doors Those who contract the disease, no matter how mild -the type, '".' should at once go to bed-and: keen • warm." Dr. Paris;was; of opinion that the degree to which', accommodation was taxed in the city, during the Tecent visit of the Prince of.Wales/was partly ' responsible for the increase in the;num- '■■ ber of cases of influenza. The cold 'weather of last week had also helped to'spread the disease. ' .-'■■■:■ ■, '■< "It -is anticipated," said Dr. Fans. • "that there' will be several waves of this mild typo of influenza during the ■winter months as ; many. of. the • cases • • reported'are the-, same as thqse> experienced five years'or so ago, when the -.'-. : . disease was not so dreaded as it is to- - day." \ With respect to the , recommendation . ■ of the Health Department that child- . ren under 15 years of age should not, 'be admitted to picture shows, Dr. Fa-fis . stated that ■ representatives .of t)e • kinema 1 theatres had .waited on. him and , pointed out that.' in the daytime the' attendance at their shows : were small, . therefore they ' asked that no restriction should be placed on children, at- ' - tending the -theatres before the hour of - 6 p.m., more, especially as extra precaution would be i taken regarding ventila- "• tion; Tn view of these representations ' it ; had "been 'decided that the recom-, mendation affecting childrerf under 15 years of age shotild not'apply between the houM of 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. "Of course," continued Dr. Tans, should ithe typo of the disease change, .and a -. greater proportion ..of pneumonic • cases it would.be necessary, to take ■'. more stringent measures!" •■. ' ' ." The following are particulars of the 'cases of influenza notified -.-eDannefirke: :: 4'mild. VNew Plymouth: 41.» mild, 2 pneumonic. Inglewood: s»miM. Stratfordi 21, mild. Eltham: 33 .mild. Man- ' aia: 2 mild. 'Kaponga: 12 mild, l.pneu- : meriio. Hawera-.l mild. Waverley:;2 ■mild. Wanganui: 89 mild, 2,pneumonic. 'Bulls. 13 mild. Marton: 13 mild. Tai-hapßr-3mild. Huntervilk: ' 9 mild. >;palmerston North.: .45 mild, 1 pneumonic. -Otaki: 12 mild) 1 severe. Levin: 13 mild 1 pneumonic. Shannon: 2 mild. Foxtori: .7 mild. 3 pneumonic.. ' Feilding. 9 mild. Wellington city: 325 mild 7-.'.pneumonic, 2 seveie. Upper -Hutt: 13r mild. Lower Hutt. 19 mild.l "■pneumonic 'Petonc: 5. mild, Grey'toWir3 : 'mild.'. : : i Peatherston: T) l .pneu--monic.' Carterton: 8 mild. Pahiatua: i< -s.mild."' ;.Masterton: -33 mild. MaTtm- :-"■ borough: '1G mild. • Havelock: 1 pneu- ..'•■ monic. \ Brightwater: 7 mild. Nelson: • 2 mild.- \" - - ; :'■"•• '• ■■•'.■'■-•■. Details of Other Diseases. ."Details regarding influenza'and easel of infectious diseases reported dur,.vin'g.ilast week are as follow, the figures for the previous week also being given : .for purposes of comparison: :.~. - - - . '■■.'■ i ' Last Previous ■i ■"". week, week.' Influenza, r i.-.:....1....'.... 798' 273 -■■■■ Pneumonia 8 2 Diphtheria. >....;.,." 24 23 Scarlet fever .» » 1 •'.'Enteric fever 4 - . 0•Tuberculosis ................. 2 6 •-'■ Infantile paralysis 1 l •:'■■ Puerperal Septicaemia . 1 . l Measles ; 8 » ■' Tetanus, 0. "J Chicbsn-pox ~.. •'...., " • 1» „■. Opthalmia 1 0 , v.Totab •■ 855 327 ''■'' The cases of infectious diseases were /reported froni the following '•.hospital .'">'( districts :-Waipawa: Diphtheria,, 2; • ■'Miienza, 4. ■ Taranaki: Diphtheria 1; ;■■, infanMle .paralysis,' 1; puerperal septicaemia, i; influenza, 48; chicken-pox, 1. ■Stratfordi Scarlet fever, 1; diphtheria, 8; influenza, 24.. Hawera: Scarlet fever, 1: influenza, 49; chicken-pox, 2. Patea: Influenza, 2. Wanganui: Diphtheria, 1;> influenza, 129; pneumonia, 2;-measles, 1; chioken-pox, 1. Palmefston.North: Diphtheria, 2; enteric fever, 3; influenza, 94; -. measles, 2. Wellihgton: Diphtheria, G; t, •■ tuberculosis, 2; influenza, 372; pneumoniu, 6; measles, 3; chicken-pox, 2; 'opthalmia neonatorum, 1; Wairarapa: Scarlet : 'fever, 1; diphtheria, 6; enteric fever, 1; influenza, GG. Wairau: Diph,theria,:l; influenza, 1. ; Nelson: Diph-theria,'-2; influenza, 9; chicken-pox, 1. By Telegraph—Press' AaßOciation; Auckland, May 17, • Prom. noon on Saturday until noon to-day, 190 mild'oases of influenza and 20 severe 'cases were' notified in the Auckland health /district There were 23 mild cases" in the city and 48 mild> ■ cases and four severe cases in suburbs. The remaining oasca were in the "'.country districts.' \ V SMALLPOX IN INYERCAEGILL. By .Telegraph—Press Association. ■ Inveroaraill, May 17. "' Th,e original cases of luild smallpox in Inveicargill are now convalescent, but to-day another -suspect was removed to the hospital. The Health authorities, ' nrgo the public to. submit to vaccina.tion, though stating that no cause for alarm exists. During tho week, ended Sunday, 92 cases of influenza were noti- : fied p. the Southland health v district, against 44 for the previous week. The ' cases were mostly mild.