INFLUENZA.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18921, 9 February 1927, Page 8

INFLUENZA.

OUTBREAK ON lONIC. BERTHING DELAYED AT AUCKLAND. [THE PRESS Special Service] AUCKLAND, February 8. Owing to an outbreak of influenra, the berthing of the Shaw, Savill, and Albion liner lonic, which arrived ill Auckland to-day with passengers and cargo from England, was delayed for a considerable time.

Tho lonic dropped author in the Waitemata during the early hours of tho morning, and the port .Medical Oilicer (Dr. Harke) and representatives of the Customs Department and the Immigration Bureau, went out to her in a launch at seven o'clock. If all hud been well tho medical inspection would have been completed in 11 little over an hour, and the liner would have berthed as previously announced at 9.30. But Dr. 'Harke, on boarding the vessel, learned that an outbreak of influenza had taken placo during the voyage, about 10 of the passengers and crew having been aliccted. Fortunately, tho outbreak wax not of a virulent type, and there were no deaths, nor had thero been a case reported since January 18th. But as no notification of the epidemic had been wirelessed to Auckland the authorities were completely unaware of it. Dr. Harke's only course, therefore, was to delay his permission for berthing until the matter had been referred to the Medical Officer of Health in Auckland. Dr. Hughes was notified, and a special launch carried him out to the tonic, -where he made a thorough inspection. He was satisfied that the outbreak had finished, but before ho i-i-.ild give permission for the ship to b-.r-th he had to get into telephonic communication with Wellington. The necessary permission was given, and the vessel berthed shortly after one o'clock.

The lonic sailed from London on December 31st with a clean bill of health. The second day out a case of influenza occurred, and at one period there were over 40 on board who were, or had been, suffering from the disease. There are no cases whatever at tho present time, nnJ since the incubation period is five days and there has been no fresh case on board for three weeks, the health authorities aro satisfied thcro is no danger.