CASES OF NEW DISEASE

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26728, 12 May 1952, Page 8

CASES OF NEW DISEASE

LEPTOSPIROSIS HELD TO BE ENDEMIC FINDING OF MEDICAL RESEARCH (New Press Association) DUNEDIN, May 10. It has now been proved that the disease leptospirosis, which was reported for the first time in New Zealand last December, is spread over' the whole country, and may be regarded as endemic. Previously only two cases of the disease were known in New Zealand, but the figure has now risen to 20. A paper dealing with leptospirosis has been published in the latest issue of the “New Zealand Medical Journal.” The article was written by Dr. L. Kirschner, of the microbiology research department of the Otago Medical School, in co-operation with Dr. T. F. Miller, formerly of Hokitika and now of Balclutha, and Dr. C. H. Garlick, of Whangarei. The first six cases occurred on one farm wnere a short time previously calves had died of “red water.” The farmer and neighbours who helped him with the skinning of the calves were admitted within a few weeks to the Westland Hospital. All had the same symptoms. The farmer’s son, who had been walking on the farm barefooted, also became ill in the same period. The other six patients were men from the Whangarei district with a similar history. Three of these patients had been in the hospital a year or two before, and their complaint was diagnosed as “severe influenza.” However, an examination of their blood carried out two months ago revealed that they were infected with leptospira transmitted from their pigs pr sick calves which at that time had died from “red water.”

The main symptoms were a sudden onset of fever —severe headaches, vomiting and pains in the muscles. All patients recovered. After this paper was completed, eight new cases were diagnosed in Dr. Kirschner’s laboratory. The patients were all men in close contact with livestock from Auckland, Hamilton and Blenheim. This proved that the disease is spread over the whole country, and that it may be regarded as endemic.