LETHARGIC ENCEPHALITIS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3882, 7 August 1928, Page 34

LETHARGIC ENCEPHALITIS.

NEW ZEALAND’S EXPERIENCE.

NOT DUE TO VACCINATION.

WELLINGTON, August 5. In a London cable message published a few days ago it was stated that a report by the liritish Alinistry of Health attributed vaccination for smallpox to be one of causes of lethargic encephalitis, sometimes called sleeping sickness. This experience, however, is exactly the reverse of that in New Zealand, where notifications of lethargic encephalitis have been associated with inactivity in vaccination. Inquiries made from the Department of Health on Saturday show that during the year ended Alarch 31, 1928, 29 cases’ of lethargic encephalitis were notified in New Zealand, ami that all but five of these people were over 25 years of a"e. In the first half of the present year—from January 1 to June 30—there were 13 cases notified, and all but two of them were people over 15 years of age. For the year ended Alarch" 31 last the deaths from the disease totalled 12, and for the first six months of this year the number was eight. , The observation made in the message from London blaming vaccination as a cause of lethargic encephalitis was commented upon last evening by the director of public hygiene (Dr T. Al'Kibbin). When asked to say whether in New Zealand’s experience there were any reasonable grounds for assuming that lethargic encephalitis was caused by vaccination for smallpox, Dr T. Al'Kibbin replied that, on the contrary, it was only since about 1919 that the disease had been at all prevalent in the- Dominion. It was only in 1919 subsequent to the great influenza epidemic that the disease was first recognised in New Zealand. “ There has,” he added, “been very little vaccination performed since 1919. In certain former years, however, during epidemics of mild smallpox, particularly in 1913, a good deal of vaccination was performed and no instances are known to the department of subsequent lethargic encephalitis shortly after vaccination. It appears obvious in New Zealand’s experience that the occurrence of lethargic encephalitis lias been associated with inactivity in vaccination rather than the reverse.”