INFANTILE PARALYSIS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26778, 22 May 1948, Page 8

INFANTILE PARALYSIS

FURTHER PRECAUTIONS POSSIBLE .

CASES IN NORTH ISLAND p.A WELLINGTON, May 21. It was not intended at present to issue any general prohibition on the opening next week of the Wellington schools, said the medical officer of health. Dr Hubert Smith, but further precautions would be taken if the circumstances warranted. The closing of picture theatres to children under 16 was under consideration. “The position can be regarded as fairly serious,” said Dr Smith commenting on the latest cases. Three school children had been reported as positive cases, and yesterday another child had been admitted to hospital as a suspected case. All four children had attended Wellington schools before the holidays and special precautions were being observed in the two schools concerned. „ .' i A three-year-old boy from Okaiawa was diagnosed at the Hawera Hospital as a positive case, making four cases from Okaiawa during the past week. There have now been 68 positive cases in the Taranaki health district since the outbreak began. A 20-year-old woman was admitted to the Cook Hospital at Gisborne yesterday and diagnosed as a positive case. Two additional cases have been reported in the Hawke’s Bay area, making a total of 25. The latest cases were a 16-months-old Napier child and a 13-year-old boy from Hastings. At Wellington a 30-year-olH* woman has been diagnosed as positive. A youth, aged 19, from Western Lake, died in the Masterton Hospital.