INFANTILE PARALYSIS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 101, 19 December 1931, Page 5

INFANTILE PARALYSIS

(Press Assn.

Isydney outbreak need cause no alarm in n.z. DEPARTMENT WATCHING

— By Telegraph— Copyright).

WELLINGTON, Friday Two days ago, a eablegram appeared in the Press stating that the spread of ■ infantile paralysis was causing concers in Sydney, and that the number of cases there had trebled in a feW weeks. • On this being brought to the notice of 'the Minister of Health, the Hon. J. 'A. Young he stated that all steps possible were being taken to prevent the introduction of tbis disease into Ne.w Zealand. So far as infantile paralysis was concerned, the Minister added, information received from Australia has shown that in the early part of this year, there was a fairly extensiVe outbreak of the diSease in Melbourne, and that at this time Sydney was scarcely affeeted by it. "Fortunately," the Minister said, New 'Zealand at the present is relatively free from the disease, and th6 fact of the outbreak in Australiai does not neeessarily mean the ep^lemic will spread to this country "The Department points out that it is impossible to be dogmatic in regard to a disease of this nature, however, and every possible step is being and will contihud to be 'taken to safeguard New Zealand from 'the introduction of tbe disease." Mr. Young pointed out that the. New Zealand Department of Health recelves from the High Commissioner weekly epidemiologial reports from the English Ministry of Health, and from the Eastern Bureau of the League of Nations at Singapore. These reports give up-to-date information regarding the problem of epidemic diseases throughout the world Another particularly valuable soUrce of information was available as-the result of the Pan-Pacific Health Conference held in Melbourne in. 1926. An arrangement* was made there in which Melbourne became the clearing house for epidemic information respecting the countries and islands of the Western and Southerft Paeific. In this way New Zealand is kept particularly well inf ormed as to the diseases problem throughout the world, and particularly in the Southern parts of the Paeific. \