INFANTILE PARALYSIS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 June 1939, Page 4

INFANTILE PARALYSIS

• TWO CASES IN MASTERTON HOSPITAL. NO SIGN OF ANY EPIDEMIC. Two cases of infantile paralysis are at present under treatment in the Masterton Hospital, a young man of 21 years and a baby boy of 14 months. The former, a resident of Masterton, was admitted on May 11 and the latter from Wangaehu at the beginning of last week. There is no indication of any epidemic of this disease. Sporadic cases occur from time to time in various parts of New Zealand. Although nine cases of diphtheria were reported in the Wellington health district for the week ended yesterday, none occurred in the Wairarapa. On May 24 one case and four carriers were reported in Masterton since which date no further cases have been recorded locally. Included in the 24 cases of infectious disease reported to the Wellington office of the Health Department from the central Wellington district for the week ended yesterday, were two of infantile paralysis, and nine of diphtheria. There was one death from diphtheria. The other cases were seven of pulmonary tuberculosis (two deaths), five of scarlet fever, and one of lead poisoning. f

Dr F. S. Maclean, Medical Officer of Health, Wellington, said yesterday that one of the infantile paralysis cases, a Wellington boy aged six, was doubtful. The lad, however, was in hospital for observation.