MEASLES PREVALENT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 September 1938, Page 4

MEASLES PREVALENT

POSITION IN MASTERTON. SCHOOL ATTENDANCES DOWN. Measles are still prevalent in Masterton. Fresh cases, mostly of a mild nature, are occurring daily. In some instances the disease is accompanied by bronchitis and ear trouble. Most of the cases are among children, though a few adults have also been stricken. A medical practitioner expressed the view this morning that the widespread nature of the epidemic is probably due to the fact that there have been few cases of measles during the past six or seven years, so that not many children have suffered from the disease in that period. The attendances at Masterton schools are naturally affected to a considerable extent. Lansdowne has 92 absentees out of a total attendance of 228 while Central has about 120 away out of over 600. West School, it is stated, has about the same proportion of absentees as Central, where the percentage of attendance is about 75. Not all the absentees are suffering from measles, as influenza and an occasional case of chickenpox account for some. Although there are a few members of the staffs of the larger business firms in Masterton away, there has been no serious depletion. The number of absentees this year, however, is higher than usual.