INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16609, 5 December 1919, Page 6

INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC.

HEALTH OFFICER’S STATEMENT. CASES OF MILD TYPE. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Dec. 25. A statement in regard to the cases of influenza reported in the Dominion lately was made by tho Acting-Chief Health Officer, Dr. Makgill, to-day. _ “The department has been watching closely the development of influenza m Auckland and Wellington provinces,” ho said. During the last three weeks the disease has shown a slight tendency to revive, but at no time has it taken on tho form of a general epidemic, but in certain area® an increase in catarrhal diseases, duo doubtless to weather conditions, has been shown. It is quite probable that about this time every year the same thing happens, but hitherto neither influenza nor pneumonia has been notifiable, so wo cannot compare figures with previous years. The heaviest return for ono week has boon 220 cases. That numhor is, of course, distributed and does not call for any alarm. “With the increase of influenza there has been a coincident in/creaso in pneumonia. This is invariably the case in all countries in tho world, and means really that tho causes that - tend to increase one disease tend also to increase others. Tho daily record of the last few days shows that in all parts of the Dominion influenza is decreasing again, and I have no reason for fearing that an epidemic is pending At tho end of August a similar increase in influenza and pneiimonh occurred, but after three weeks it died down. ■ “Illustrating now little in tho way of an epidemic there is, I may mention that in the whole of the Wellington public health district, including Hawke’s Bay, Nelson, and Taranaki, for the 2-1 hours ended at noon to-day, there were but seven cases of influenza notified. Tho proportion of cases of a severe type docs not appear to bo increasing; in fact, in Auckland and the Waikato the returns have shown that practically all tho cases are of tho mildest description —so mild, indeed, that inspectors informed mo that on visiting houses they invariably found tho people themselves did not regard the trouble as other than an ordinary cold. Of course, it is difficult- to draw a hard and fast line between a feverish and tho influenza, and in dealing with the returns notified as influenza ono has to make allowances for this difficulty.

“Therefore the actual figures on the notification last may bo somewhat misleading, but the important thing is to keep a chock on the influenza conditions, which have showed a marked tendency to pneumonic complication. These, fortunately, are not common. Personally I think it is improbable wo shall ever again bo visited with such an epidemic as wo had last year, as the con ditions leading up to that were most exceptional. Doubtless we shall have epidemics of influenza again, but they will bo probably of a mild type.