HEALTH RECORD

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 114, 7 February 1935, Page 8

HEALTH RECORD

No Bad Epidemics In

New Zealand INFECTIOUS DISEASES Returns Last Year Lowest Ever Notified A remarkably good record was experienced in New Zealand last year'in icspect of infectious diseases. lhe notifications received up to December 31 (Europeans only) numbered 301 7, the lowest figure since accurate records of notifications for the Dominion have been' compiled. There were no epidemics. Commenting yesterday on the departmental returns, the Hon. Sir Alexander Young, Alinister of Health, explained that, during the past four years', the incidence of notifiable diseases had been light. “AVith the exception of a minor recrudescence of poliomyelitis in 1932. there have been no epidemics.” he said. “This happy state of affairs cannot be expected to continue indefinitely, as epidemic diseases wax and wane at varying intervals, and it happens that we have been passing through the downward portion of 'the waves of both scarlet fever and diphtheria. "The outstanding feature of the 1934 returns is the: remarkable drop in the incidence of diphtheria. The lowest number of notifications received prior to 1934 was 747 in 1913, when the population was not much over one million. The figures may be compared with those of 1917 and 1918, when 5458 and 5539 cases respectively occurred. Of the 433 cases in 1934, only 36 occurred in the South Island.”

The notifications for the past four years of the various diseases which come under the headings of notifiable infectious diseases and other notifiable diseases are shown in the attached table. It will be noticed that the totals are not only low, but have been decreasing'.

111,31 19.32 193.3 1934 Scarlet fever 1,304 S' , 0 7S3 7(52 Diphtheria 1.327 802 963 433 Enteric fever 161 195 106 00 Pulmonary tubereulosis 1100 901 890 819 Cercbro-spinal meningitis 22 16 12 19 Poliomyelitis (infantile paralysis) . 25 148 43 14 Influenza • (pneumonia) . 217 ■ 24 41 71 Erysipelas 233 233 226 239 Puerperal fever— (a) Ordinary . 100 110 105 128 (b) Following abortion . 133 142 115 171 Eclampsia Tetanus S4 62 84 SI 21 17_ 15 20 Hydatids 5!l 37 46 .35 Undulant fever .... 13 24 IS .34 Food poisoning ... 2-1 7*’ 42 77 BaOillarv dvsentery 31 44 63 20 Other notifiable discases /... - 60 56 67 39 ■ ■ -• —— Total ... 5013 3715 3619 3017