INFLUENZA INQUIRY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIX, Issue 9546, 11 March 1919, Page 6

INFLUENZA INQUIRY.

SITTING AT WELLINGTON

WELLINGTON, March 10. Givins evidence before the Epidemic Commission, Mr Hurley, Government Bacteriologist, dealing with the question as to whether the prior use of vaccine would have minimised the epidemic, stated that when asked during the epidemic by the 'Department for his opinion as to the use of vaccine prophylaxis,, his report on November 8' was to the effect that^ under the. circumstances lie strongly advised against it. The circumstances were:—(l) That Auckland was then the centre of an epidemic of influenza; (2) that inoculation would render every individual m6re susceptible to the disease for an uncertain number of days. and would be dangerous for those .who ■ were actually infected, but were allowing up to the.time of inoculation no symptoms of disease; (3) that after inoculation there would be:many severe cases through neglect of medical advice; (4) that there was a. scarcity of medical practitioners to inoculate; and that there was a lack of scientific data as to the liability involved by such inoculation/ before or during the, epidemic. There was not sufficient evidence to date that the prophylactic use of influenza vaccine during an epidemic was advisable. The question of prophylactic' treatment was in an experimental stage, the technique and the dose bein a still uncertain. Influenza was still in a more or less virulent stage in New Zealand.

The witness said there was no doubt that the more virulent strain of influenza noticed during the epidemic had been imported into New Zealand, seaborne, and comparatively recently, but when he could not say. He had heard from the Department in' Auckland of virulent cases before October 12. He could not say whether (it reached the standard of the cases which occurred subsequently.

Dr. Watt. District' Health Officer, said that a feature of influenza was the ranid manner in which it spread from country to country and from, continent to continent. There was no other infectious disease which could compare with it in this respect. Early in August an outbreak of severe .influenza was reported in the Waione School, near Dannevirke. In this outbreak, which was of short duration, there were cases of pneumonia superrening, and one death. It was the opinion of the doctor of the district that the sickness was identical with that of the later pandemic. From a general survey of the information available about the epidemic in all countries, it would appear that ■ there had been two phases—the. first a primary epidemic of mild influenza, which, owing to the mildness of the disease and its gradual onset, caused no disorganisation of trade, and the second a secondary epidemic of severe influenza with . pneumonic and septicsemic complications. This disease was highly fatal, and caused great disorganisation of trade and traffic. It was probable that the concentration of troopsi hi large bodies liad set up conditions which allowed the disease germs to increase in virulence and that the niovement of troops- and the greatly increased amount of inter-communica-tion, had aided the dissemination of the disease.

Dr. P. J. Frengley, (Deputy-Chief Health Officer, who gave evidence in Auckland, was recalled. He pointed out that adequate and timely warning could not have been 1 obtained since the fact was established that the peak of the epidemic occurred approximately at the same time for England, America and New Zealand. It was clear, therefore, that New Zealand was not infected from cases occurring' in fatal waves from overseas. The history of influenza showed that cases in' a mild wave might under certain circumstances, the causes of which were yet unknown, work up in virulence, and be succeeded by a wave of the fa.tal> type. The difficulty in regard to quarantining against influenza was the determination when, to be effective, quarantine should be initiated. If pandemic influenza always arose from the miMer types, then quarantine would require to be insisted upon against persons suffering . from influenza in its mildest form—tliat was practically nothing more than a cold ii. the head.

Dr. Frengley spoke of the need for improvement in the quarantine stations.

o>r. Thomas Russell Ritchie, a medical officer who has just returned from England, said he had. been acting as a bacteriologist in. England,"in the No. 3 New Zealand General Hospital. The, epidemic had been showing signs of its approach' for two years. In France, in the winter of 1916-17, there were "sen-, ous outbreaks of bronchitis and pneumonia, following on influenza, with many deaths. Similar outbreaks had occurred in the camps in ' England. The influenza genii had been giving a great deal of trouble in England even. before the primary wave of the epidemic in June last year. Before that time the troops of the New Zealand forces were boarded for respiratory complaints, and men with chronic bronchial affections were found to have the influenza germ and streptococcus in their sputum; Men would carry these -germs "for" months, .expelling them in "sputum,' and for the past 18 months at least the returning troops had been bringing new strains of •these''-germs to New Zealand. He had found very feAv cases among New Zealand troops in which pneinnococcus was present. As an experiment 12,000 New Zealand troops were inoculated with a -multiple catarrhal vaccine by. a bacteriologist, and. it- was found that their immunity was increased. Coloniall troops weremore subject to infection by respiratory diseasethan troops; from Britain, and it was probably because of this that the epidemic played such havoc in New Zealand. Many, people now in -J-Tew Zealand, wore .carrying organisms causing epidemic sickness, and some.would continue- to cany them for: years.