INFANTILE PARALYSIS

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 78, 26 December 1925, Page 4

INFANTILE PARALYSIS

THE OUTBREAK IN

SYDNEY

DISCUSSED BY HEALTH OFFICER

Ur Tm-rctIArU—'SI’JSCIAL Coimr.oru:-.i;S:-. r

Auckland, December 2-1

The infantile paralysis outbreak in Sydney is naturally causing concern to parents in Auckland who have vivid memories of what happened here a year ago. It is certain that all reasonable precautions will be taken to prevent a disease, which is always present in New Zealand, from gaming a new lease of life through the introduction of cases from Australia. In the Auckland district only seven cases have been reported since the end of Mav last, and only one has occurred since August. The figures are: April 37, May 11, June 3, July 2, August 1, September 0, October 0, December to date 0. The Health Department officers are not alarmed by the Sydney report. So far they have heard nothing officially of the outbreak. “If the trouble in Sydney is serious, we are fairly sure to be told about it by our local office,” said Dr. H. Ches, son. “The Department keeps well, m touch with Australia aud will certainly make any inquiries that are needed. Naturally we are guided by official information of that kind.” Dr. Chesson was not surprised to find disease cropping up in Sydney at this time of yea! seeing that it is endemic everywhere, and isolated cases are reported iieciuently in different parts or New Zea< land. “There are a few special preventive measures that we need take at present,” he explained. “Of course, we could advise parents to keep then children at home; we. could prohibit picnics and stop all kinds of gatherings, but if we did all the things that some people say we should do, there would be such an awful fuss that it would not be worth the trouble. We need something to work upon. If the disease should appear, we can take measures against it, but we cannot prevent its appearance because it is with us alwavs.” . Asked about precautions against im iiortine cases from Sydney, Dr. Criesson said that naturally all children would be carefully examined before landing in order to discover, 1« possible, any signs of the disease. As the voyage took some days the if present, would have a little time in winch to develop. Hc . sonld5 onld 11 se 5 lil 4 need at present for putting all child, ten into quarantine on Arrival and takine swabs from their throats, unless Fhe situation were really serious, Such measures would certainly be 1C; sen ed. Infantile paralysis came and went at quite Irregular intervalsWhen it attacked the community, drastic measures would be taken tu C^Dr C Gilmour, pathologist at the Auckland Hospital, stated that supnhes of serum iqr treating infantile paralysis were not kopt at the inst>U ; lion for the reason that the prepara of an outbreak,” sald W “there would be no difficulty ill obtaining blood from cx-patients for■ t making of serum, and qlllv twenty “our hours would be required for preparing it.”