SCARLET FEVER EPIDEMIC

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 49, 21 November 1928, Page 10

SCARLET FEVER EPIDEMIC

POSITION AT CHRISTCHURCH By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, November 20. Following a conference held this morning between representatives of the Health Department and the Canterbury Education Board, the restrie tions imposed on the attendance of children under ten years of age at schools in the Christchurch metropolitan area have been lifted. The lower classes in the majority of the schools will be resumed to-morrow, and pupils at several of the schools will be medically examined by officers of the Health Department. Dr. Valintine stated to-day that scarlet fever was a disease which in New Zealand had usually run its course of from two to three years. An epidemic about twelve years ago, ami one again approximately twelve years before that, gave much greater death rates and more serious effects than was the case with the present epidemic, which had been running through the Dominion for nearly two years, and in Christchurch in particular for oveone year. In former epidemics. Dr Valintine added, as many as ninety deaths would occur in oue year. Last year throughout the Dominion there were sixteen deaths from scarlet fever, and up to date this year the number was about twenty. The reason the Department considered it advisable that a close examination should be made of children attending certain schools was that in addition to clear cases of scarlet fever there were some instances of children with red growths which, while not suffering severely from the disease, probably were a factor in its spread. It is probable that the school dental clinics will shortly be reopened.