SCARLET FEVER

Hokitika Guardian, 21 November 1928, Page 6

SCARLET FEVER

JBPJ DEAI.IC R.KSTR ICTION

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association.) i

C'H RISTCrIUR.CTT, Nov. 20

Following a conference held this morning, between representatives of the Health Department and the Canterbury Education Board, the restrictions imposed on the attendance of children under ten years of age at schools in the Christchurch Aletropolitan Area have been lifted. The lower classes in the majority of the schools will be resumed to-morrow, and the pupils at several of the schools will be medically examined by officers ol the Health Department. |)r Yalintinc (Director General of Health) stated to-day that scarlet fever was a disease which in New Zealand, had usually run its course of from two to three years. An epidemic about twelve months ago, and one again approximately twelve years before that, gave much greater death rates and effects, tTian was the case with the present epidemic, which had been running through the Dominion nearly two years, and in Christchurch in particular lor over a year. In a former epidemic. Dr A a-liutiue added as many as ninety deaths would occur in one year. Last year throughout the Dominion there were sixteen deaths from scarlet fever, and up to date this year, the number was about twenty. The reason the Department considered it advisable that a close examination should he made of children attending certain schools was that in addition to clear cases of scarlet fever, there were some instances of children with red growths, which, while not suffering severely from the disease, probably were a factor in spreading it. Tt is probable that the school dental clinics will shortly he re-opened.