MUMPS ABOUND.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 191, 13 August 1940, Page 3

MUMPS ABOUND.

CHILDREN IN BED. ] SCHOOL HOLIDAYS NEAR. Mumps are prevalent in the Auckland metropolitan district and school attendances are being affected considerably. Whooping cough, chicken pox and influenza are ako keeping many children in bed and anxious mothers feel relief that the term holidays, which commence next Monday, are so near, as there will be time for thorough recuperation before the schools reope-n on September 9. An officer of the Health Department said this morning that in the early spring there was usually some mild epidemic among school children, such as mumps, measles or chicken pox. This year it was mumps, but they were not severe. He had heard that in one primary school 30 per cent of the children had been away on a recent occasion with mumps or colds. '"Mumps are infectious," he said. "The disease is reported to be in mild form aud is not notifiable."

On account of s number of the boarders contracting mumps the Sacred Heart College was closed yesterday until September 9, when the school reopens after the term holidays. The Very Rev. Brother Borgia, principal of the college, eaid to-day that he would not hare closed the college a week before the commencement of the holidays had all the scholars been day pupils. Boarders had contracted mumps and he thought it better for all concerned to close the school a few days earlier than usual so that tlis boys from a distance could go home. "There were not a large number of e&ses and on account of the large number cf boarders in the college we closed the school," he added. "We have not had any mumps in the college for years, and it is four years since anything of an epidemic nature has visited us." Brother Borgia said that the Health Department insisted that no child who contracted mumps could return to srhool until 14 days had elapsed and he was of the opinion that the epidemic would be a thing of the. past when the term holidays were completed. An official of the Education Board said to-day that the mumps epidemic was | not severe and there were also cases of whooping cough and influenza. It was j difficult to say how the attendances were ; affected because the schools now were not graded on average attendance, but on roll number. It was usual in the early spring to have mild epidemics either of mumps, chicken pox or influenza, but this year all three were prevalent.: