MORE ’FLU IN CITY

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29724, 18 January 1962, Page 4

MORE ’FLU IN CITY

Four-Weekly Report Cases of respiratory influenza were commoner in the city during the four weeks ended December 24, 1961, than during the preceding four weeks, according to the four-weekly report of the research committee of the Canterbury faculty of the College of General Practitioners. An average of 10.75 doctors reported to the committee during the period, compared with an average of 11 in the preceding period. The total number of cases of various diseases was 408 compared with 372 in the previous four weeks. The respiratory influenza affected mainly adults. Typical symptoms were a severe headache at the onset and a persistent cough, in several cases progressing to laryngitis and/or bronchitis. There was a marked increase in the number of gastro-enteritis cases over the period. All ages were affected. The majority of cases were mild. One case of scarlet fever was reported. Staphylococcal infections were more common among children than during the preceding four weeks, but with adults the reverse was the case. Otitis media and acute tonsillitis both claimed fairly large numbers of sufferers, although the figures did not differ greatly from those for the previous period The incidence of chicken-pox. mumps, measles, and whooping cough remained low.