INFLUENZA.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 November 1919, Page 4

INFLUENZA.

— > CASES IN THE DOMINION. A REASSURING STATEMENT., By Telegraph.—Press Association* Wellington, Last Night. Twenty-seven fresh cases of influenza were notified in the Wellington health district between November 23 and 27, with one exception all being mild. Interviewed, Dr. Makgill, acting Chief Health Officei, stated there was a slight recrudescence of influenza of the ordinary type affecting part of the Auckland and Wellington districts. "The position is in no way alarming," he added. "The cases -show no tendency to reverb to the severe type of last year.' There is very slight evidence of a recrudescenc* in Christclmreh, and none at all in Otago ' or Southland At this time of the year there is generally a good deal of catarrh prevalent. Probably the present situation is no worse than what it is every year. As we have net« before had notifications of influenza at our disposal we have no means of compari'lg this year's figures with those of previous years. The Registrar-General's statistics as to deaths show that during the spring months pneumonic complicft| tions are ?omewhat prevalent." These are to-day's notifications up to noon:—Auckland province (including the Waikato) n cases, of which two are severe; Wellington province (including Hawke's Bay, Taranaki and Nelson) 10 cases, of which one is severe; Canterbury (including Westland) 0 cases, of which one is severe; Otago and Southland, no eases. "That shows that all through the Dominion there were only ■ 27 cases notified to-day, of which four are of a severe type," "added the doctor. "We cannot say, therefore, that there is any epidemic. Some of the cases recently notified indicate small outbreaks of influenza in schools and a few cases of influenza in a school are a common enough thing at all times and will put , nn our notifications and cause alarm. . Personally, I see no cause for alarm , whatsoever. The department is wateh- , ing the position closely, and if any rea--1 son for doing so arises, precautions will , at once be instituted in the way of proi ' hibiting gatherings."