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Show Caution Is Urged As Polio Increases On the eve of infantile paralysis paraly-sis summer outbreaks, a recapitulation recapitu-lation of the figures available show that the number of poliomyelitis polio-myelitis cases in the country is running about fifty per cent ahead of a year ago, it has been announced" announc-ed" by Dr. Don W'. Gudakunst, medical director of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, Para-lysis, Inc. As of mid-May, the number of new cases 'this year were 642, as compared with 424 cases for the same period in 1944. Sharp increases have been reported re-ported in the New England states, middle Atlantic states, south Atlantic At-lantic area, and the east south central states. In the Pacific coast and west south central areas which have been hard hit the past two years, there has been a noticeable notice-able drop in the number of new cases. The remainder of the country is running about the same as last year. While it is a fact that there are fifty per cent more cases in the country this year than in the same period in 1944, "this is not an alarming situation but it should be watched carefully," said Dr. Gudakunst. The medical director also declared that "The national (Continued on last page) Caution Is Urged (Continued rrom page J) foundation, based on its experience experi-ence of assisting in several out-; out-; breaks of infantile paralysis dur-' dur-' ir.g the past years, is in spendid condition to render real service to medical and public health authorities authori-ties in an epidemic of infantile paralysis wherever it may occur. We stand ready and willing to help the state, county, and local health authorities at a moment's notice." As a further aid in the fight , against infantile paralysis, the national foundation is distributing hundreds of thousands of bulletins entitled "When Polia Strikes," . which includes many helpful hints for parents. It also contains a series of simple precautions to be taiken by parents during the summer sum-mer months. |