Infectious Diseases in Tumut Shire

17 April 1945 The Tumut and Adelong Times

For the period since last meeting of the Tumut Shire Council the Health Officer, Mr. J. Lockeridge, submitted the following report to the Council meeting on 'Wednesday last relative to infectious diseases in Tumut Shire:- 

Eleven cases of notifiable infectious diseases have been reported since 21st February last, one case of laryngeal diphtheria from Tumut district and ten cases of scarlet fever, five of the latter cases were from Red Hill, all from the one family; three cases were from Batlow and the remaining two were from the Adelong district.

One of the scarlet fever patients from the Adelong area was, owing to certain circumstances surrounding the case, treated at home, the other ten cases were admitted to the isolation block at the District Hospital. 

For the first quarter of 1945 there have been twenty-two cases, of infectious diseases notified, twenty cases of scarlet fever and two cases of laryngeal diphtheria, compared with seven cases of scarlet fever and two cases of laryngeal diphtheria for the same period last year.

There have been further indications of mild, unreported cases, but unfortunately nothing can be done in the matter.

Although quite a few country centres have reported cases of infantile paralysis, we are fortunate enough to be free of this dreaded complaint.

Parents would be well advised to refrain from taking children to, or entertaining children from, any of the infected areas. 

Immunization

The Brungle campaign has now been completed.

Sixteen children from the Aborigine Station and eight from Brungle village were treated under this scheme, the first injection being on Tuesday, 27th February, and the second and final injection on Monday, 19th March.

The necessary returns have been completed and will be forwarded to the Health Department with an application for reimbursement of the cash loss sustained by Council in conducting the campaign.   

As instructed at the last meeting of Council, samples of both the Tumut and Adelong water supplies have been taken and submitted to the Health Department for the purpose of analysis.

In each case the samples were taken from taps at private homes connected to lines where the flow would be sluggish, so that the general supply would be better than the analyst's report may indicate. 

Although it is some weeks since the samples were forwarded, and a letter has been sent to the Department since, there is still no reply.

It is more than likely that the report should be available for next meeting. The Council of Scientific and Indusrial Research requested a sample of tap water from Council's supply, as they are carrying out a comprehensive survey in connection with the flourine content of drinking water and the incidence of dental caries in humans.

Samples from both the Tumut and Adelong services have been forwarded to the Department.