THE DIPHTHERIA OUTBREAK.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 July 1916, Page 6

THE DIPHTHERIA OUTBREAK.

DR. VAUXTIXE'S REPORT. Under direction from the Minister of Public Health Dr. \ alintinc. Chief Health-! Otlieer, lias furnished Mr. VV. T. Jennings, 11.1'., with a report on the diphtheria epidemic in Xew U'lyinouth. It is as follows: Since the beginning' of the year there have been 7.'i eases, apart from a number of cases in other parts of the district. The District Health Officer reports that there is nothing to indicate that there is a, common source for infection in the milk supply, other foodstuffs, water supply or dra.inage. Roughly, there have been two areas affected—the West End area adjacent to the valley of the llangotnkn stream, and in tlie upper part of Courtenay street, Leach street and Lemon street. These areas around the \Ve?t End, Convent and Central schools respectively. Though the low-lying damp area about the Mangotuku may have predisposed to the condition, there is no doubt whatever that the main factor in the spread of the disease is the aggregation together of the children in schools, for, out of the 73 cases, 82 were school children, and the greater portion of this number were in attendance at the West End, Convent and Central schools. There is every possibility that a number of cases have returned to school whilst still infectious, which means that they probably carry the germ of the disease in their throats and by that means spread the disease from scholar to scholar by means of pencils, drinking vessels, etc. The District Health Officer has written to the Secretary of the Education Board, and also to the chairman of the Hospital Board. To the former he has made certain suggestions, the principal of which are:

(1) That the schools be closed until 26th inst.

(2) That school teachers be instructed to send home any child complaining of sore throat.

(3) That absentees for more than one day be visited to ascertain whether any throat conditions are present.

(4) That no scholar who has bad diphtheria in the current year be allowed to return on re-opening unless he presents a certificate that a, bac-

teriological examination of his throat lias been found negative. (Arrangements are being made for such examinations). (5) That future .cases of the disease be treated similarly. (0) That the drinking of water from taps be supervised by a teacher and no child's lips allowed to come in contact with the tap. (7) That ail taps be disinfected at the end of each day. (8) That teachers be required to instruct scholars in the danger of infection from using the property of another child, or touching anything that has come into contact with another child's mouth. (9) That the articles in common use, sudi as pencils, slate pencils, penholders, slates, hooks, etc., be efficiently disinfected. (10) That instructions be issued to children to provide clean slate-rags at least weekly, etc.

The chairman of the Hospital Board lias been asked by the District Health Ofl.iccr and myself to provide hospital accommodation for all cases of diphtheria, and have explained to that Board the precautions necessary to be taken. The District Health Officer ha 3 also written to the medical men of New Plymouth and district asking them to co-operate with the Department in taking the necessary precautions, principally with regard to taking swabs for bacteriological examination.