CASES OF MEASLES

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 151, 23 March 1938, Page 12

CASES OF MEASLES

More In Auckland Than In Past Few Years FEW OF THEM SERIOUS By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, Alarch 22. “Cases of measles and german measles have been more frequent in the Auckland metropolitan district than for the past few years, in my opinion,” said the medical officer of health. Dr. Hughes, when referring to the epidemic in the north.

“There have been very few eases of severity and. as far as I am aware, no deaths. I feel it does not necessarily follow that it will become as severe as in the north.” Aleasles was not a notifiable disease, continued Dr. Hughes, but several cases where there had been more than one attack of infection had come to notice. .Most of ‘the cases were among children, but a certain number of adults had been infected. One or two boardinghouse-keepers whose lodgers had been affected had rung the Health Department to inquire what precautions should be taken.

Infection was at present fairly prevalent among the Maoris in the Helensville, I’ukekohe, Tauranga and Hauraki districts, but there was nothing to suggest that the attacks would become as severe as those in the north.

Doctors in practice in the suburbs reported that there were.quite a number of cases, some fairly -acute, but the majority were mild anil confined to children. Summer sickness, which was fairly prevalent a week or more ago, was not now occurring so frequently. On the North Shore there seemed to be fewer cases than in the city.

Inquiries made at schools in and round the city showed that attendances had been affected very little by measles. Since February there have been It) deaths in the Northland as a result of measles, the deaths having occurred in an area from the northern part of the. Bay of Islands county to the North Cape. The Alinister of Health lias authorised the medical officer in the Northland to exercise the provisions of section 76 of the Health Act and the order closing schools in the Alangonui county has been extended to embrace ■ Whangaroa and Ilokianga counties and the Kaitaia Town Board district. About 1000 cases have been notified to date. POSITION IN WELLINGTON No further eases of measles were reported in W'ellington yesterday, according to an officer of the Health Department, who stated that so far the outbreak seemed to, have been confined practically to two schools. The cases were of average severity, it was stated. In cases where children showed symptoms of the disease, parents were advised to take reasonable precautions, but there was no cause for alarm.