Report of the Department of Health / New Zealand.

  • New Zealand. Department of Health.
Date:
[1964]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Report of the Department of Health / New Zealand. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    10/116 (page 10)
    Leptospirosis Notifications of leptospirosis were rather fewer (128 as against 148 the previous year). The vaccine mentioned in the report for 1962 has become available and a pilot immunisation scheme is being put into effect in the Hamilton Health District. The Departments of Health and Agriculture are exchanging information useful in the tracing of sources of infection. Positive control of this disease would be a great advantage to the farming community. Hydatids The incidence of new notifications (there were 38 compared with 41 in the previous year) is a poor indicator of the effectiveness of the hydatids eradication campaign. Districts report local authority activity, and departmental support by way of health education, in the hydatids eradication campaign. It was disturbing, however, to read in the report of one medical officer of health from whose district five new cases were notified (two adults and three children aged 14, 11, and nine years) that in all areas except two in the district the incidence of hydatids in dogs was high and in some areas actually increasing. There will be an intensive education campaign in this district during the coming year. Anchylostomiasis Thirteen and 11 cases were notified in the last two years compared with only the occasional case a decade ago. Anchylostomiasis is a chronic debilitating infection caused by hookworm and is widely endemic in tropical and subtropical countries, the more so in areas where sanitation is primitive or substandard. In all the notified cases the infection has been contracted overseas, the patients being pre¬ dominantly Pacific Islanders. No case of local infection is known and, in view of New Zealand’s high standard of living and of hygiene, there would seem to be very little risk of hookworm becoming estab¬ lished as an endemic disease. Food Poisoning The figure for notified cases of food poisoning (435) is comparable with that for the previous year (462). (See also Food Sanitation— page 5.) Quarantine Arrangements General No cases of quarantinable diseases were reported in New Zealand during 1963. In addition to medical officers of health, who have overall respon¬ sibility for port health work, the Department has approximately 50 medical practitioners appointed as port health officers to cover the seaports and airports throughout the country. During 1964 a second port health officer was appointed at Whangarei to assist with the increased overseas shipping arriving at that port.