CHILD’S IMMUNITY FROM PARALYSIS

Grey River Argus, 1 April 1948, Page 5

CHILD’S IMMUNITY FROM PARALYSIS

AUCKLAND. March 31. Basing their conclusions on the records of cases of infantile paralysis admitted to the Auckland Hospital over ihe last six weeks, some Auckland doctors take the view that the schools in Auckland district should be reopened immediately. They hold that exposure to disease now, when it is generally appearing only in a mild form among children, would give immunity in adult years, when its course is usually more severe. Between February 14 and March 24 a total of 15 children under 16 years of age wore admitted as positive cases to the ho’spital, and among them there was only one) case of paralysis, which was in a slight form and affected a leg. The child concerned was admitted on February 16. Only six of the cases came from the Auckland area, the remainder having been admitted from outlying districts.

Since February 21. nine adults have been admitted and four serious cases of paralysis included one death. It is maintained that these figures prove that the disease affects adults much more seriously than children. The opinion is held that th e authorities should take into consideration the fact that infantile paralysis is one of the diseases of childhood from which immunity it subsequently secured and that those who suffer from its severe form in adult life are those wrom it did not affect as children. The panel of consultants who have been treating cases at the Auckland Hospital will meet Medical Officer of Health, Dr L. S. Davis, tomorrow. No new cases of infantile paralysis were reported in the Central Auckland health district to-day. In the South Auckland district four more positive cases were reported. They were a girl, aged six, from Benneydale, a boy. aged 11 from Kopaki, ’a girl aged 13 months from Ngaruawahia. and a boy aged four months, from Horotiu. NEW CASES REPORTED NEW PLYMOUTH, March 31 Three new positive cases of infantile paralysis were notified in the Taranaki health district to-day. They are a two-year-old girl and a five-year-old boy, living at Hawera, and a 10-year-old boy, living at Taiporohenui, near Hawera. r Two suspected cases of infantile paralysis admitted to the Palmerston North Hospital from the Levin and Dannevirke country areas have been diagnosed as positive. One is a nir.e-year-old boy and the other a three and a half-year-old boy.