INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 205, 25 May 1920, Page 8

INFECTIOUS DISEASES

FIGURES FOR THE WEEK INFLUENZA CONTINUES TO INCREASE RATIO OF PNEUMONIC CASES LOW The ivave of influenza which is sweeping over tho .'Wellington public health district continues to increase in volume. For the week ended noon yesterday, 1149 cases were notified, an increase of 351 compared with the figures for the previous week. Of the latest notifications, 1112 were classified as mild; 24 as pneumonic; and 13 as severe The pneumonic cases were reported from tho following localitiesDannevirke, 1; Hawera, 1; Kaponga, 2; El than), 7; Wanganui, 3; Wellington city, 3; Lower Hutt, 2; Porirua, 1; Mnrtinborough, 1; Carterton, 1; and Pongaroa, 2 An increase is also reported in, the numbor of cases of pneumonia, 23 notifications having been received last week as against 8 for the previous week. In Wellington, last week, there were 16 cases of pneumonia, 3 in Palmerston North, 2 in Wanganui, 1 in Hawera, and 1 in Patca.

A Reassuring Fact. Though the. number of influenza notifications continues to be high, it is reassuring to note that the rarfO of pneumonic cases to mild forms of the disease remains low. This point was stressed yeterday by, the district health officcr ?Dr. I. E. Faris), who said that the pneumonic notifications were really the true index of the influenza position. While the ratio of pneumonic cases was low the situation could be held to be satisfactory. "Should the number of pneumonic cases increase unduly in proportion to the total number of other cases, then the danger signal could be said to be hoisted," remarked! Dr. Faris. Last week's total of 24 pneumonic notifications was an increase of only 4 compa .-.id with the previous week, and this number was infinitesimal when it was remembered that the population of the Wellington public health district was 355,632 Speaking of the influenza position generally, Dr. Faris stated that several towns in Taranaki had been affected by local epidemics. From Wellington city 431 cases wore reported, an increase of 59 on tlie previous week's bulletin, but, considering the size of the city, this increase could not be said to be very great. Nel?on had been remarkably free from the malady, only 9 cases being reported last week, and 1 the previous week. Yesterday afternoon, however, he had received advice that 15 scholars at kelson Convent had contracted the disease, but as last week's bulletin was made up to noon on Monday, these new figures would be included in the return for this week. Dr. Faris added that it was fortunate that the Stato school mid-winter holidays had'eomo at the present time. Had tho schools been open, in all probability the number of cases of influenza would have been greater. There was .no doubt that the cessation of school work had had a beneficial effect in checking tho spread of the disease. The influenza notifications for last week were ■ received from the following towns:—Norsewood: 2 mild. Dannevirke: 6 mild; i pneumonic. Woodville: 1 mild. New Plymouth: 28 mild. Inglewood: 1 mild. Opunake: 95 mild. Stratford: 52 mild; 4 severe. Hawera; 32 mild; 1 pneumonic. Kaponga: 33 mild; 2 pneumonic. Eltham: Pfl mild; 7 pneumonic. Mnnaia: 13 mild; Patea: 11 mild. Wavei'ley: 6 mild; Foxton' 1G mild. . Palmerston-North: 80 mild. Feilding: 18 mild. Levin: 10 mild. Otaki: 20 mild. Wanganni: 88 mild; 4 severe; 3 pneumonic. Oliakune; 6 mild. Tailiape: 1 mild. Mar ton: 4 mild. Bulls: 10 mild. Huntervillo: 5 mild. Wellington: 356 mild 1 ; 3 pneumonie. Petone: 11 mild; 3 scvoro. Up* per Hutt: 7 mild. Lower Hutt: 44 mild; 2 pneumonic. Jolmsonville: 2 mild. Porirua: 2 mild; 1 pneumonic. Masterton: 2 mildj 1 severe. Martinborough: 23 mild; 1 pneumonic. Carterton: 8 mild; 1 pneumonic. Greytown: 1 mild.i Pahiatiia: 7 mild; . 1 severe. Pongaroa: 3 mild; 2 pneumonic. Nelson: 6 mild. Motueka: 1 mild.

Details of Infectious Cases. The details of the infectious diseases reported last week are as follow, the figures for the previous week being shown for purposes of comparison :— Last Previous \ week. week. Influenza . Pneumonia 23 8. Scarlet, fuvcr 7 3 Diphtheria 1 20 24 Enteric fever .'; 3 4 Tuberculosis 1" » Infantile paralysis ...... 0 1 Puerperal septicaemia... 1 1 Measles jj ® C.'hicken-pox 13 7 Ophthalmia t «* 2 1 Totauus 1 " Totals 1232 855 Tho following hospital districts reported cases of infectious diseases as shown: •—Waipawa: Diphtheria, 2; influenza, 10; measles, 1. Tnrnnaki: Scarlet fever, 1; diphtheria, 2; influenza, 124; chicken!pox, 2. Stratford: Diphtheria, 1; influenza, 56. Hawera: Scarlet fever, 1; diphtheria, 3; influenza, 168; pneumonia, 1; chicken-pox, 2; ophthalmia, 1. Patea: Diphtheria, 1; influenza, 17 j pneumonia. 1. Wanganui: Scarlet fever, 1) diphtheria, 1; tuberculosis, 1; influenza, 121; pneumonia, 2; chicken-pox. 2; ophthalmia. 1. Palmerston North: Diphtheria, 1; enteric fever, 3; influenza, 141; pneumonia, 3; measles, 1. Wellington: Scarlet fever, 2; dipliftena, 4; tuberculosis, 9; puerperal septicaemia, 1; influenza 431; pneumonia, 1G; measles, 1; chicken-pox, 4. Wnirarapa: .• Scarlet fever. 2; influenza, 71; chicken-pox, 3. -Wairau: Diphtheria, 1; tetanus, 1. Nel60ii: Diphtheria, 4; influenza, 1.

Chicken-pox Notifiable. During the past threo weeks 30 ca=cs of chicken-pox have been reported in the Wellington public Health, district.. The district health toflicer stated yesterday that this disease had recently been mndo notifiable because of the fact that a few mild cases pf smaH-pox had occurred in Otago. 'Whenever there were outbreaks of smalLpox it was customary to make chicken-pox notifiable in order that the diagnoses of the two diseases should be clearly defined. * smallpox" Inlhe south GENEEAL VACCINATION, • RGED. By Telegraph—Press. Association. Dunedin, May 24. In view of the fact that, in the Southland district the epidemic of varioloid varicella, otherwise modified smallpox, shows a tendency to increase, the Health Department is now urging the advisability of general vaccination. In the Otago Hospital District tho outbreak appears to be about stationer}', and ill the Vincent nnd Oamaru districts no fresh cases have been reported. By Telegraph—Press Association. Invsrcargill, May 24. Two further notifications of mild smallpox bring the number of cases in tho Southland hospital district to fourteen, ten being in Invercargill and four at Gore. All contacts have been quarantined and the District Health Officer issues a further warning to tho public regarding the wisdom of submitting to vaccination.