TWO MORE CASES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26630, 28 November 1947, Page 6

TWO MORE CASES

INFANTILE PARALYSIS AUCKLAND NOTIFICATIONS KINDERGARTENS ORDERED TO CLOSE P.A. AUCKLAND, Nov. 27. In an effort to prevent the spread of infantile paralysis, the medical officer of health at Auckland, Dr L. S. Davis, has taken action under the Health Act and ordered the immediate closing of all kindergartens and day nurseries in the district until further notice. The area covers the city and the Rodney, Waitemata, Manukau, and Franklin Counties and all boroughs and town districts in or adjoining the counties. Two further positive cases of poliomyelitis, one at Pukekohe and the other at Auckland, were reported to the Health Department to-day, bringing the total number of recent cases to eight. They are all in the Auckland Hospital. One of the cases notified to-day was an adult and the other a four-year-old boy. Of the six other victims, five are children of school age and the other is an adult. Two suspected cases were admitted to the Auckland Hospital today and one was admitted on Wednesday. The reason for the closing of the kindergartens and day nurseries, said Dr Davis, was that children under five years of age were in the most susceptible age group in poliomyelitis outbreaks. In most epidemics about 50 per cent, of the cases were aged from one to five years, and the congregation in kindergartens of children in that age group was therefore considered not desirable. He added that in the present outbreak there was no evidence that attendance at kindergartens had been responsible for the spread of the disease. The question of closing all schools was under constant consideration by the Director-general of Health in Wellington, who was being kept in close touch with the situation, said Dr Davis. Discussions to-day between the department in Auckland and the Director-general had resulted in a decision not to close the schools tomorrow, but to consider the question again on Monday in the light of any fresh circumstances which may have arisen. Final decision could not be given until the situation had clarified itself.