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Show Public Health Column One hundred and fifty-three new cases of communicable disease dis-ease were reported to the Utah Slate Board of Health during the week ending October 13, according accord-ing to a statement released today by Dr. William M. McKay, Director Dir-ector of the Division of Communicable Communi-cable Disease Control. This is an increase of 43 cases over the previous pre-vious week, and 56 cases over the corresponding week last year. The diseases which showed increases in-creases were chickenpox, infantile infan-tile paralysis, measles, mumps, pneumonia, scarlet fever and whooping cough, while only typhoid ty-phoid fever showed a decrease. Greatest persentage increases were noted in the cases of pneumonia, pneu-monia, measles and whooping cough. There were reported eleven cases of infantile paralysis, compared com-pared with ten cases during the previous week. Two of these were from Davis County, two from San Juan County, four ii'om Salt Lake County, and three from Salt Lake City. Forty-eight Forty-eight cases of infantile paralysis have been reported to the Siaie board of Health to date this year, compared with only one case for the same period last year, and only three for the entire en-tire year of 1938. While this is a rather large increase, it was pointed out at the State Board of Health office, the cases have been reported from rather widely-sep arated areas, and the disease has not reached epidemic proportions. propor-tions. "It is important, however," said Dr. McKay, "that all children's child-ren's illnesses be treated with immediate concern. The physician physici-an should be called early in every case of illness, because only the physician is qualified to determine the seriousness of the situation and the proper treatment treat-ment to save suffering, expense and worry. "If we are to effectively control con-trol and prevent the spread of disease," Dr. McKay explained, "every citizen must appreciate his responsibility in public health. It is the responsibility of every citizen to see to it that no other person contracts a communicable com-municable disease because of his carelessness or indifference." |