PLAGUE PRECAUTIONS

Hokitika Guardian, 18 November 1921, Page 3

PLAGUE PRECAUTIONS

FUMIGATING SHIPS FROM AUSTRALIA. WELLINGTON, Nov. 15 The shipping companies in New Zealand have been notified, the Minister of Health stated in the House of .Representatives to-day, that in future all vessels before coming to New Zealand from Australia must be fumigated in the Australian ports to minimise the risk of their carrying plague infection .to this counirv. The Department, said Mr Parr, was concerned about the position in Australia. There had been more than forty cases ol plague in Queensland and 21 had proved fatal. The latest innnifestafion of the disease in Brisbane was of a very severe pneumonic type. Five new eases had been reported that morning from Brisbane. Rats showing undoubted symptoms ol plague had been found in Sydney, hut so far the infection had not been caught by human beings there. The Commonwealth health officials were much alarmed by the prospects of serious trouble in the “danger” months ol April. .May and June. The fumigation required in all shipping from Australia would no doubt entail some inconvenience and expense to the shipping companies, but from flic best-advice lie was satisfied that the Department was adopting the only safe course. II the plague were once allowed to reach the country to stop its spread would he very difficult.. Very active precautionary measures were being taken in the principal ports and in the cities. In Wellington about two hundred rats had been caugbt recently and examined ( bacteriological!^ - without ally unsatisfactory results. The City Council had, he understood, seven inspectors going from house to house in Wellington and requiring that insanitary conditions should lie remedied. He believed that Wellington was alive to the risk. In Auckland 500 rats had been examined , every week by bacteriological pro- I cess, and during the quarter ended August 31 st 1500 rats had been killed on the Auckland wharves, and more than 2000 in the city: In other ports the harbour hoards and the borough or city councils were having a clean up. | It was useless for the Department to have precautions taken on the wharves, if the local authorities did not clean up the towns. Some of them were doing well, but otliers, lie was alraid, t\eie treating tbe Departmental injiineiion with little consideration. Tbe utmost rate must be taken in cities and boroughs to prevent the accumulation of 1 übllisll.

Tin.re appeared to be some misconception about the way in which the icsponsihility for precautions was distributed. the Ministei vent on to say. It laid been said that the dull of sanita- ' lion lay principally on the Health Dc|i:i,tmcn!. The fart uas that the main nx-pon.-Jloliti lay on ihe local autlu.ride:-. which lien- Imal boards ol health ami were required to see that thou boroughs or distiicts were kept in a sanitary coiidi!inn. I lie duty ol the Department was to snpetvise. lie laid instructed the officers of the Department that at the present time they must exercise their powers drastically, if neeessarv, to compel the local authorities to put their house in order. "I wish the local autlioiities to realise that the |Misition Is soi finis." Mr Pan concluded.

PI. AC UK PRECAUTIONS. i WELLINGTON. November ■ | Amended quarantine regulations arc effected by an Order-in-Couucil. Spec- j ial measures are to be taken to pro- j vent the migration of rats from ships and for the destruction of rats, mice, | and oilier vermin on board ships. Ike, lvjinliitirtus nlso clou! with the ti,,n o|' carM a s. mid tli<‘ disiulwturn mails. j

A ]K*n:iltv of is provided for any hrontli of tho ivgidntintis.