INFECTIOUS DISEASES.

Northern Advocate, 18 January 1921, Page 2

INFECTIOUS DISEASES.

DOMINION 1 TOTAL FOB I$2Q

MARKED INCREASE ON LAST '■■*

YEAR'S FIGURES - -

The total number of cases «£ infectious diseases reported to the New Zealand Health Authorities for the ytar ended December 31, 1920, is 41, j 544, an increase of 29,567 on the figures-for the previous year, which l ' were 11.977. It is to be noted that in the period of 1919-20 under re.view tho notification of mild influenza was discontinued after June 23 1920, and no notifications of measles were l ' made after August 23 of the eame . year, following amendments to the regulations. There has been a marked increase in the number of tuberculosis cases reported, and ag the result of the compulsory notification of all influenza caseg the figures for 1920 are large. Measles also show a comprhensive increase ove? last year's figures, and the number of erysipelas , cases has grown. Three diseases for- , eign to New Zealand have their appearance, one case respectively being reported of beriberi (sleeping sickness, as apart from lethargic encephalitis, a common Central African complaint), anthrax (of which one case was reported in 1919) and actinomycosis, of which no case oe* curred in the Dominion in the previous y«ar to the one under review: Details of the figures are as follows, together with those of 1919:— , 1920 1919t Scarlet fever 1248 .. 1521 Diphtheria 2442 .. 3499 Snteric ..... % .... 389 ~ 477 Tuberculosis 1305 .. 984 Cerebro-spinal meningitis 79 .. gg Infantile paralysis . 76 H Puerperal septicaemia .......\.. 124 .. 79 Hydatids 45 .. 45 (mild).. 29,928 .. 3700 Influenza (pneu-... monic) .. ■-. 470 ~ *Measle s 2597 .T 477 Smallpox 95 mm N jl Chickenpox ....... , 509 : . nu Septicaemia (un-. . , classified 30 .. 14 Lethargic encaphali<;is ••••• 42 .. go Opthahnia neona-.. to ™m • 48 .. 24 Beri-beri • 1 .. Nil Erysipelas 155 '' ?3 Tetan «s 15 _ Nil Actinomycosis .... 1.. Nil Trachoma 10-.7 7 Anthrax ......... 1 .. 1 Totals (as given) 41,544 11,977 *Signifies'notification suspended* before end of year.