HOW INFECTION IS CARRIED

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21970, 19 December 1936, Page 16

HOW INFECTION IS CARRIED

Dangers Of Spread Of Epidemic MEDICAL MAN'S ADVICE The Canterbury branch of the Now Zealand Crippled Children Society has been taking active interest in the epidemic which has occurred in Otago. The first duty of the society is prevention of any disease which may lead to crippling, and with this view in mind the executive of the society has met on several occasions, and in consultation with the medical advisory committee appointed by the British Medical Association, has expressed a definite opinion as to the precautions which should be taken to prevent the spread of the disease amongst the community. Recommendations have already been published in 'The Press" in the form of a telegram which was sent to the Minister for Health and to the Director-General of Health. So far the society has had no acknowledgment of this telegram, and the society is unable to state whether definite action has been taken to carry out the wishes'expressed in it. Briefly, the suggestions made by the society were: The closing of schools; the prohibition of breaking up ceremonies; the closing of swimming baths to children under 15; the closing of picture theatres to children under 15, and the closing of health camps. How Infection is Carried "It is the desire of the society to explain why these suggestions have been made."' said the president of the society (Dr. J. Leslie Will) last evening. "According to opinion from the best medical brains of all countries, it is considered that the spread of the disease is carried by 'contact' or by 'carrier.' By 'contact' is meant the transference of the disease from one individual to another through the contact of a normal individual with someone who is suffering from the disease. By 'carrier' is meant the healthy in-dividua-i who picks up the disease, and ' without suffering from it, carries it to j some other individual. "As far as medical science can inform us, the infection is carried in the linings of the nose, and can be spread j by the excretions which come from i the nose. At times when there is an ' epidemic, it is considered by authori- j ties that from between 50 to 80 per j cent, of people who suffer from the : disease show no paralysis, so that the I spread of the disease is carried by | these people who do not know that j they are suffering from it or are even j infectious. Symptoms may be so slight as to pass unobserved. Importance of Isolation "To prove that isolation can prevent disease, it is recorded that in an epidemic in New York in 1916, 30,000 children in institutions were under strict quarantine regulations. Not one of these children developed the disease | —and that, in the city's 'dumping | ground,' called Barren Island, which . had a community of 800 who acted as scavengers and collected all the refuse, rags, and dead animals of the city, but rarely visited the mainland. Swimming Baths and Health Camps "With regard to the swimming baths, as it is realised that the infection in all probability is carried in the nose, it will be realised that anyone in a swimming bath can spread on the surface of the water excretions which can infect other people swimming in the baths. For that reason the society is satisfied that swimming baths should be closed to children under the age of 15. In the picture theatres, where coughing or sneezing may easily spread the disease, the same rule must apply. "There has been some criticism with regard to health camps. In Auckland, it has been suggested that health camps would be a good place for the children to congregate. This would be true if the children were already there and no epidemic was feared. If they were there, they could be isolated and looked after, and probably would not be infected (as is suggested by the remarks about the 30,000 children in New York institutions), but as the travelling of children may mean the spread of the disease amongst the community, it is considered by the society that the health camps should be abandoned." EXCLUSION OF YOUNG CHILDREN DECISION OF MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITORS (I'KKSS ASSOCIATION TKU3UIIA.U.} WELLINGTON, December 18. As a preventive measure against the spread of infantile paralysis, the Motion Pictures Exhibitors' Association (New Zealand), representing 90 per cent, of the exhibitors in the Dominion, after a conference at Wellington with the Director-General of Health (Dr. M. H. Watt), decided to recommend to members that all children under the age of 12 years be prohibited from attendance at picture theatres. The secretary of the association, Mr J. Robertson, M.P., said to-day that the prohibition was voluntary, but he had no doubt that all exhibitors would fall into line without delay. MORE ADMISSIONS FOR OBSERVATION POSITIVE CASES IN DUNEDIN NUMBER SEVENTEEN (I'KKSS ASSOCIATION TKLKGI'.AU.) DUNEDIN, December 18. No positive cases of infantile paralysis were admitted to the Dunedin Hospital to-day, although four children were received for observation during the afternoon. These latest admissions bring the total number of cases, both positive and suspected, since the outbreak of the disease to 43, of whom 17 are paralysed. Eight or nine are showing definite symptoms of the disease, and the 1 rest are under observation. MINISTER CONOR ATL L ATEI) (PIIKSS ASSOCIATION TELEGKAAI.) NAPIER, December 18. Mr G. A. Maddison, chairman of the Hawke's Bay Education Board, to-day congratulated the Minister for Health (the Hon. P. Fraser) on closing all schools in view of the uotbreak of infantile paralysis. He said that no case had yet been reported in the North Island, and he was pleased that there were no cases at Napier. At the same time, all children's gatherings had been cancelled as a precaution.