HOW DISEASE IS SPREAD

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21971, 21 December 1936, Page 12

HOW DISEASE IS SPREAD

ARTICLE BY ENGLISH AUTHORITY How epidemic poliomyelitis, or infantile paralysis, is spread in a community is discussed by Sir Arthur MacNalty, chief medical officer of the Ministry of Health in England, in an article in the British Medical Journal. Sir Arthur writes as follows: — “Studies have shown that the disease is dufe to a virus which passes through the finest filter. The presence of the virus has been demonstrated in the nasopharynx of patients and of persons wno give no definite history of having had the disease and who may or may not have been in known contact with it. Presumably, infection may be spread directly not only by patients but by persons apparently healthy. There is not sufficient reason to believe that the virus is conveyed to man by foodstuffs (including milk) or insects, or that the disease is associated with insanitary conditions. “In epidemics of poliomyelitis, infection is probably widespread in a community, but only a certain proportion of susceptibles are attacked. Dangers of Apathy “An attitude of quiescence in dealing with epidemic poliomyelitis is to oe deprecated. The argument has not infrequently been put forward that here you are faced with a widespread infection and that much of the infection is admittedly due to healthy carriers and mild cases which often go undiagnosed. You had better let the epidemic go on since you cannot check it, and concentrate solely on securing effective treatment for the paralysed victims of the disease. “Personal experience has convinced me that much can be done with the whole-hearted co-operation of medical officers of health and general practitioners to check the spread and severity of an epidemic. If the infectivity of the disease is fully appreciated, if the existence of abortive and mild cases is realised, and if those as well as the more easily recognisable cases are notified and isolated in hospital or otherwise, potential sources of infection are shut off from susceptible individuals; thereby the exaltation of virulence by passage from individual to individual is prevented, and the epidemic spreads to a much lesser extent than if uncontrolled.”