TYPHOID IN WHANGAREI

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 95, 13 July 1927, Page 12

TYPHOID IN WHANGAREI

DOCTOR’S REPORT The medical superintendent reported as follows to the Whangarei Hospital Board yesterday on the outbreak of typhoid fever: “I regret to have to report that we have had an outbreak of typhoid fever in the hospital, involving five of the nursing staff and one patient. The first case went down on June 6 and the last on June 19. The origin of the trouble was probably a Maori case sent in as definite pneumonia, which he certainly was. and was treated as such. Unfortunately, the case was complicated, by also having typhoid fever, which defied all attempts at diagnosis, for, on learning that the man came from a place where there had been typhoid, we took the precaution to test for that disease. All tests proving negative, we continued to treat the man for the lung condition without any special precaution. The Health Department has investigated the outbreak and is satisfied there is no question of food or water infection. It also reports that the Maori case is one of the few exceptions that fail to give a positive test for typhoid when suffering from that disease. The Health Department considers the nurses became infected due to handling infected stools and bed linen. The other patient occupied the bed next to the Maori case for some time. “It must be remembered that the contraction of infectious diseases and of blood-poisoning are the outstanding risks of the nursing and medical professions, and accidental infection may occur. “The incidence of future similar epidemics of typhoid would be mitigated by the inoculation of all nurses against typhoid fever. “One records with sorrow the death of the- victim of this epidemic, Nurse Potter. Of the others, the patient in question and two of the nurses, can be classified as recovered. The remaining two are still ill, but progressing.