LOWEST YET
INFECTIOUS DISEASES RETURN
A substantial drop in tne number of cases of infectious diseases in the Dominion was recorded last year, according to a statement issued last, night by the Minister of Health (the Hon. Sir ■ Alexander Young). The' total figure was the lowest since accurate returns have been compiled. There -were no epidemics; . The Minister said that during the last four years the incidence of notifiable disease had been,light. "With the exception of a minor recrudescence of "poliomyelitis in 1932, there have been no epidemics," he said. "This happy etate 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 thVpbpulatioh was not much over one- million. The figures may be compared with thoee 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.: !
1031. 1932. 1933. 1934. Scarlet fever 1304 829 783 762 Diphtheria 1327' 802 963 433 Enteric fever ..... 161 195 106 55 Pulmonary tuberculosis ....1109 304 890 819 Cerebfo-splnal meningitis 22 : 16 12 19 Poliomyelitis (infantile paralysis) 25. 148 43 14 Influenza (pneumonia) 247 24 41 71 j Erysipelas 233 233" 226 239 Puerperal fever— r . (a) Ordinary' ... 160 110 105 128 I (b) Following abor- | tlon .... 133 142 115 171 .Eclampsia 84 62 84 81 ! Tetanus 21 17 15 20 Hydatids 59 37 46 S5 Undulant fever .... 13 24 .18. 34 rood poisoning ...» 24 72 42 .77 Bactllary dysentery . 31 44 63 20 Other notlflable- dls- ' eases 60 56 67 39 Total .......... 5013 3715 S619 3017
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Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 32, 7 February 1935, Page 4
Word Count
358LOWEST YET Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 32, 7 February 1935, Page 4
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