INFANTILE PARALYSIS.

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 April 1937, Page 12

INFANTILE PARALYSIS.

[TO THE EDITOR.] • Sir, —Apart from action by theHealth authorities regarding measures’ recommended to prevent, the spread of infantile paralysis, very little is known of what is being done to eradicate the disease itself. In Darwin . (Australia), after a month’s 1 scientific research, the Health authorities proved that rodents had been responsible for a type of sickness 1 for which mosquitoes had been blamed. In the case of the illness of a child, it was discovered that the pet cat was a carrier of the complaint. Tests; witli rats and bandicoots revealed that their fleas and other parasites l had probably transmitted the complaint to the cat, which in turn infected the boy. No doubt every, community has its army of fleas. The flea is a vampire to be feared, and can jump one hundred times its owni length. Its bite, like that of the mosquito may plant the microbe of disease in the bloodstream. Lately some attention has been devoted to the matter. In a Greymouth store the cat was submitted to a thorough dusting with flea-powder. After a few minutes quite a prospect of dead fleas was shaken from the cat. Household furniture is invariably a refuge for parasites; wicker and .seagrass are their fancy, and apparently respectable looking articles can. be made produce them from the interstices. A deal of perseverance ,ahd disinfectants will be .required before fleas. Mosquitoes and flies can be destroyed, but our dwellings are not safe if the flea lives in the bed, flies •swarm the kitchen, cats are allowed! ’their liberty, and mosquitoes buzz ini to bite their victims throughout the night.—l am etc., CONSTANT READER.