MALARIA

Hokitika Guardian, 6 May 1929, Page 7

MALARIA

SYDNEY'S DANGER, MOflQUl’iO MENANCE. SYDNEY, April 24. According to a Sydney, medical man there is grave danger of a serious outbreak of malaria in the city because he says, the true malarial mosquito has been found hero. Sydney has suffered from the mosquito pest for years past though it must be admitted that considerable progress has been made in he difficult process of eradication. Some districts within the metropolitan area claim io be almost free of the mosquito but they say that their efforts are nullified on account of the inactivity of surrounding municipalities. The futility if independent action has been recognised and the Government is now making some effort to co-ordinate the plan for eradication, and most of the local bodies have fallen in with an idea which provides for the creation of a central authority •which, next year, will work systematically. Sliould there he an outbreak of malaria in Sydney the position would be serious. A species of mosquito called the “anopheles bancrofti” which is widely distributed in Northern Ausfcralia “may be” a malaria carrier, but lie “anophles annulipes,” found in many parts of Australia, and extend- : ng to Papua, is most certainly a carrier of the parasites of maliara. The type of mosquito which worries the "eople of Sydney is not responsible for the spread of the disease in any circumstances, and it has collie as rather a shock to the people to know that the “right” (or wrong) type has been found within the metropolitan area. If the discovery will hasten the elimination of the mosquito of all types, then it will have served its purpose.

Malaria is not “catching” in the ordinary sense. For centuries it was believed to he caused by the night, air. or by vapours arising 'from the swamps An hour before dark was the dreaded time. Hi 1879. after years of patient research, Sir Ronald Ross, a great expert on tropical medicine, found that the real evildoer was a microscipical •ininuil living in the salivary glands ol the mosquito “annulipes”. Only the female mosquito sucks blood, so only the ifemale is dangerous; but that is small comfort for the malarial victim.

-Malaria, qs well as dengue and malarial diseases, are not uncommon in Queensland, where mosquitoes responsible for those troubles have been fought persistenty and to some extent. successfully. Brisbane and loowoombn have' conducted a campaign against the mosquito Tor years, and they are now comparatively tree from the pests. Prevention is ever to he preferred to cure, and the lessons learned during the construction of the Panama Canal have been of great value Eradication df tj’ie pest is difficult unless there is co-operation. Then it becomes simple, so simple that it is difficult to understand the attitude ol some of tin' Svdnev .Metropolitan Councils who object to the payment or onetenth of one per cent, of their reven-o into a common Ifund to he used tor the good of all. it will bo a sorry day for Sydney ii the malarial mosquito is permitted to multiply.