INFANTILE PARALYSIS

Hokitika Guardian, 22 December 1932, Page 3

INFANTILE PARALYSIS

SOURCE OF MALADY STRANGE CASES IN QUEENSLAND BRISBANE, December 8. Two' remarkable instances of infan'tile paralysis believed to have been contracted through the medium* dr a cricket ball and some Education Department papers are refenxd to in the i annual report., of the 'Commissioner of I Public Health for i: Queensland prej sented to the State Parliament a few days ago. In one case it wail'Slated YTiat' r( o'He of the memliers '6’f a xYicke't tdafn | alter playing;,ip, a mUtclf,'''felU'ili witn the disease , cn the"/following ’ day, March ,2., A younger brother ’r/f another members of the. team, and who was. not, present, contracted the disease on April ,5. It was stated in the report that, this second -.boy played with the cricket ball which had been used by,the, first player, and had been taken, home by his brother. - Two- sisters .who had been isolated in tlie bush, many mile's from a small western tqwn, contracted .the disease within a few hours of each-other. In the town -.there had, been two , definite casus of infantile paralysis and.many children also bad fallen sick displaying symptoms of some slight febrile upset. No one had been near these two girls but the weekly mailman, who had delivered Education Department papers, which tlie girls studied after receiving them tone. Saturday: .morning. They were tlie only two in the family to touch the papers and the, only. t" r o to get the 'disease. “It is of interest to note,” said the report, “that the mailman’s, son had been away from school between February 2 and ‘February 15 for two periods with a day of attendance in the middle.; one period vras due to a sore heel, the other to a febrile illness displaying laryingitis Of no' - severity Both girls became ill 0 11 February 14, the mailman having visited them cn tlie previous day. It is hard to find any other means of transmission than by' the mailman and, if accepted, tlie short incubation period of one'V.ay must bek-noted.”