INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 136, 6 December 1926, Page 10

INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC

INTERESTING REVIEW

STATISTICIAN'S REPORT,

"An epidemic of any disease, and especially one of influenza, in addition to certain distinguishing features, usually possessess characteristics peculiar to itself, which provide special data for a statistical study, and the recent epdemic of influenza is no exception to the rule. Now that the Dominion figures of the ravages of this epidemic are available, it is interesting to review its course and its effect from the various aspects that the subject presents," writes the Government Statistician in his "Monthly Abstract." The figures indicate that influenza first began to assume noticeable proportions towards the middle of June, and finally exhausted itself somewhere about the end of September. All subject-mat-ter, therefore, contained in the review is confined to the period commencing with the week ended Saturday, 19th June, and terminating with the week ended Saturday, 25th September, 1926. Commencing towards the end of June, the number of fatal cases of influenza rapidly rose during the succeeding few weeks, until the maximum number of fifty-four was attained during the first week in August. The following week witnessed a substantial decrease in the death-toll, and this was succeeded by a steady and continuous decline thereafter. The following figures show the proportion of influenza deaths per 10,000 of tho population of each provincial district, and from these figures a general conception is obtained of the relative severity of the epidemic over the various portions of the Dominion: — '■ Auckland, 2.05; Hawkes Bay, 1.98; Taranaki, 2.22; Wellington, 1.72; Marlborough, 2.69; Nelson, 3.17; Westland, 4.66; Canterbury, 3.93; Otago, 1.47; Southland, 1.84. On the above basis it will be seen that, Westland Provincial District records the greatest severity of the disease, closely followed by Canterbury. Nelson and Marlborough are next in order, whilo the mildest form of the epidemic was apparently experienced in Otago and Wellington. Although the greater number of deaths was recorded for the North Island, it is obvious from the death-rates quoted above that the South Island really suffered the most from the point of view of severity.