THE PLAGUE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3192, 11 April 1911, Page 5

THE PLAGUE.

THE AUCKLAND OUTBREAK. BELIEVE TO BE EFFECTIVELY COPED WITH. [SPECIAL TO TIMES.) AUCKLAND, April 10. The public health authorities believe that the plague outbreak in Auckland is being effectively coped with. Twelve days have now elapsed since the last case w r as admitted to the hospital, and, furthermore, in that period no plague rats have been discovered.. The first case recorded was. that of an elderly woman at Onehunga on 23rd March. "On March 24th two further cases were taken from the same house. The next plague patient was admitted to the quarantine hospital on March 30th, the man being a resident of Khyber Pass road. In each instance the public health officials believed they had traced the source of infection to two distinct localities in rthe lower portion of Auckland city, The work of isolation and disinfection had. therefore, to he carried on in at' least four different places.

ENERGETIC SANITARY PRECAU-

TIONS.

At Onehunga; the building in which, the first three cases developed was destroyed by fire, the authorities considering this to he the only effective means of coping with the situation, and during the course of the blaze, it is stated, a great many rats were offered up on the shrine of sanitation. In other buildings quarantined effective fumigation was possible, and the fact that 12 days have elapsed without any further case of plague being reported (except that of Nurse Carroll, who contracted the disease on April 6th while nursing the other patients) leads the public health officials to hope that there is no likelihood of further trouble in those quarters. Any fresh outbreak will have to be in a new focus of infection.

Tt is also a matter for satisfaction to the public health officials that the local governing bodies and the citizens at large have so enthusiastically joined m the health crusade. _ The city and suburbs are now receiving a thorough cleaning up and the campaign against rats is being carried on with very good results. The public health officers in Auckland have now been armed with exceedingly drastic powers, hut so long as the local governing bodies and the householders do their duty, there is not likely to be any serious intervention by the departmental officers. It is not the intention of the department, however, to allow the present activity to be anything in the nature of a flash in the pan, and a programme of permanent reform is being outlined, which the local bodies will be asked to adopt and make a permanent part.of their work in helping to keep the city and suburbs clean.