THE INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 January 1920, Page 4

THE INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC.

ATTEMPT TO TRACE ORIGIN. HOW THE DISEASE SPREAD. By Telegraph.—Press Asa.—Copyright. \ Received Jan. 10, 5.5 p.m. London, Jan, 15. ' A comprehensive account of the great; Influenza epidemic is issued in a report by the Local Government Board. The writer, tracing the origin, points out that an epidemic of influenza WM prevalent in China and Japan in 1918, but was not reported in Spain until May, 1818. He is of opinion that the disease originated in China, coming to America, and thence to Europe, or alternatively, that ft originated .in America, proceeding thence cast and West. In Britain, the Grand Fleet and the Army were the first to suffer. Glasgow was the seat of the first civilian outbreak, which was in May, followed by an autumn epidemic. Portsmouth, Southampton, and Liverpool were the first affected, but they suffered lightly, inland towns suffering later and more severely.

The report adds: "It does not Appear that one attack is invariably powerful in' protecting against others. Results are contradictory, but may be reconciled by the hypothesis that there are several strains of the influenza virus, none conferring protection against others, And en cli wave having a peculiar dominant strain, producing) a certain wave of in-dividuality."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Asbs.