BUBONIC PLAGUE

Otago Witness, Issue 3523, 20 September 1921, Page 16

BUBONIC PLAGUE

OUTBREAK IN BRISBANE. PRECAUTIONS IN SYDNEY. BRISBANE, September 15. An outbreak of bubonic plague is announced at South Brisbane. One death is reported. The health authorities concealed the matter for 21 days. Investigations proved that six rats which were examined were infected. September 15. A conference between the Home Secretary. the Health Commissioner, and the Federal Quarantine Officer discussed the plague. They announced subsequently that there was no justification for any scare, as probably the difficulty would be surmounted without a further human case occurring. The citizens are co-operating in the ratdestrnctiun crusade which was launched at the end of August, although the people were not then aware that the activity was due to plague. MELBOURNE, September 15. Dr Cumpston. Director of Public Health, vigorously condemned the Queensland authorities for concealing the ease of bubonic plague, as the most valuable period for the prevention or spread of the disease had been lost. He added that although the necessary precautions were now being taken, it was quite possible that the disease had already made its way to other Australian ports as the result of the delay by the Queensland Government. SYDNEY, September 15. j Strict precautions have been adopted j with vessels from Brisbane, in view of the outbreak of plague there. The Brisbane plague victim was an employee in a produce store. Besides six infected rats found in South Brisbane, two were caught in the North Brisbane area with suspicious symptoms. The Home Secretary announced in the Assembly that there was no need for public alarm, as 15 days had passed since the original case was discovered and no suspicious cases had been reported since. Action is being taken to destroy rats on the waterfront .and in j warehouses, and other restrictive measures aro being enforced. September 16. j Owing to tlie plague outbreak a number j of vessels are not calling at Brisbane. All v essels arriving from Brisbane are care- | fully examined down the harbour and i fumigated after the cargo has been discharged at the wharf.

MELBOURNE, September 17. Dr Cumpston, federal Director of Quarantine, has received advice that a- further plague-infected rat was found in Brisbane, and lie has issued a proclamation declaring Queensland an iiiftPHed State. This means that Queensland may be isolated from other States. The Brisbane Commissioner of Public Health announces that no fresh cases of plague among human beings have been reEorted. So far 11 plague-infected rats ave been found. Precautions are being taken actively, and it is anticipated that the outbreak will be mastered. PRECAUTIONS TN NEW ZEALAND. WELLINGTON, September 16. In view of the outbreak of bubonic plague in Queensland the New Zealand Health authorities have been prompt to take steps to tighten up the examination of passengers and crews of ships arriving from Australia. September 18. The Minister of Public Health, interviewed regarding the outbreak of bubonic plague in Brisbane, stated that he had consulted the Deputy Director of Health and directed tightening up precautions against introduction of plague into the dominion by means of ship rats. He felt that the policy of secrecy adopted by the Brisbane Health authorities had hardly been fair to other countries. The result might easily have been that the dread scourge might have entered any one of our ports before we could De aware that the cargo of a steamer was infected. He added a word of counsel to harbour boards, city councils, and other local authorities throughout the dominion, especially in the principal ports, and to the public generally, urging them to set about a general campaign for the destruction of rats and mice, as through them the plague, if it came, would spread to human beings. Auckland, he knew, especially the district In the neighbourhood of the wharves and big warehouses, was infected with rats, and he understood the position was much the same in the other principal ports.