OCR Text |
Show Public Health Column Increases in the number of new cases of influenza and measles were very largely responsible for the tremendous increase in the number of new cases of communicable com-municable disease reported to the Utah State Board of Health during dur-ing the week ending December 1, according to Dr. William M. Mc Kay, Director of the Division of communicable Disease Control. The number of new cases reported re-ported increased from 297 last week to 526 in the week just ended, end-ed, an increase of 229. This is an increase also of 243 cases over the corresponding week last year. Influenza increased from 22 cases last week to 104 during the week just ended, an increase of 82 cases; and measles increased from 45 cases last week to 127 during the week just ended, also an increase of 82. Other diseases for which increases were reported report-ed were chickenpox, scarlet fever, mumps, syphilis and infantile paralysis. Decreases were reported report-ed in the number of new cases of typhoid fever, pneumonia and gonorrhea. "This sudden increase, particularly particu-larly in the cases of influenza measles and chickenpox, should be met with sincere determination determina-tion on the part of ail citizens to see that it does not continue " said Dr. McKay. "Every parent is urged to watch carefully the health of children, particularly those of school age. When any child shows symptoms of illness, he should be watched carefully and the physician should be called call-ed early. Children should not be permitted to attend public meetings meet-ings or visit at neighbors' homes when they are kept home from school, "he continued. Since the number of cases o influenza has increased so markedly mark-edly during the last week, and since many adults are stricken with the disease, Dr. McKay advised ad-vised that all colds in adults as well as children, should be watched watch-ed with extreme care. 1 |