M 66
(B) Annual Report of the Malaria Bureau, 1939.
275. Dr. J. B. Mackie was appointed malariologist on 4th January, and Mr. M. R. Deb departed on leave on 6th May.
276. The present report deals entirely with new work done by the Malaria Bureau during the year 1939, and makes no reference to previous research or the extensive routine anti-malarial work. Those details can be found by those interested in the Annual Reports of 1930-1936.
277. Deaths ascribed to malaria were 1,492, or 3.09 per centum of deaths registered from all causes. The corresponding figures for 1938 were 733 and 1.9 per centum respectively.
278. As in 1938, the influx of a large number of refugees from the rural districts of Kwangtung, whose resistance had been lowered by exposure and under-nourishment, again raised the incidence of malaria. This is reflected in the figures obtainable from the Chinese public dispensaries. From the Western and Central Dispensaries located in the heart of the city where no malaria occurs, 1,844 cases of malaria were reported.
In the New Territories the influence of refugees is most strikingly seen from the analysis of the police returns for the New Territories. In the border district between Lo Wu and Sha Tau Kok, which bore the brunt of the invasion of refugees, it will be seen from the figures below that the five police stations, Lo Wu, Sheung Shui, Ta Ku Ling, Lin Ma Hang and Sha Tau Kok, with a combined establishment of 104, had 224 cases of malaria—compared with the whole of the remainder of the New Territories force of 176 which had 177 cases. This increase of over 100% in the border stations can only be accounted for by the higher local infection rate of the mosquitoes, as conditions favourable to anopheline breeding are more or less uniform over the whole New Territories.
In November, an out-of-season typhoon accompanied by very heavy rainfall flooded large tracts in the New Territories, and opened up potential breeding places on the Island, which are normally dry at this time of the year.
A warm and sunny December following gave rise to ideal conditions for the breeding of A. jeyporiensis with the result that the peak of malaria, which usually occurs in November, was continued well into December. This is well seen in the malaria figures for the Police Force.
Military works in the year necessitating the housing of heavily infected coolie labour on the outskirts of residential areas undoubtedly gave rise to a certain number of cases in districts in which malaria does not normally occur, and in which it had not been previously considered necessary to undertake anti-malarial work.
279. The local army strength figures are not available, but malaria amongst the troops in the New Territories was fairly high in view of the extensive operations in areas outside the control of the Bureau on the outbreak of war. There were 351 cases amongst British troops. At Lyemun, there was a slight reduction in the number of cases of malaria in 1939. The Air Force, situated inside the area controlled by the Malaria Bureau, had only three cases of malaria in the year.
No cases of malaria were recorded from the 500 Indian and European staff of the Stanley Gaol or the Government Civil Hospital.
280. Night catching was discontinued in 1939, as inspectors previously working in the Laboratory were needed for field work under the expansion of the anti-malaria programme. One inspector only was retained in the Laboratory.
281. No new species were discovered in 1939. Identification of the species found gave the following results:—
M 66
(B) Annual Report of the Malaria Bureau, 1939.
275. Dr. J. B. Mackie was appointed malariologist on 4th January, and Mr. M. R. Deb departed on leave on 6th May.
276. The present report deals entirely with new work done by the Malaria Bureau during the year 1939, and makes no reference to previous research or the extensive routine anti-malarial work. Those details can be found by those interested in the Annual Reports of 1930-1936.
277. Deaths ascribed to malaria were 1,492, or 3.09 per centum of deaths registered from all causes. The corresponding figures for 1938 were 733 and 1.9
per centum respectively.
278. As in 1938, the influx of a large number of refugees from the rural districts of Kwangtung, whose resistance had been lowered by exposure and under nourishment, again raised the incidence of malaria. This is reflected in the figures obtainable from the Chinese public dispensaries. From the Western and Central Dispensaries located in the heart of the city where no malaria occurs, 1,844 cases of malaria were reported.
In the New Territories the influence of refugees is most strikingly seen from the analysis of the police returns for the New Territories. In the border district. between Lo Wu and Sha Tau Kok, which bore the brunt of the invasion of refugees, it will be seen from the figures below that the five police stations, Lo Wu, Sheung Shui, Ta Ku Ling, Lin Ma Hang and Sha Tau Kok, with a combined establishment of 104, had 224 cases of malaria-compared with the whole of the remainder of the New Territories force of 176 which had 177 cases. This increase of over 100% in the border stations can only be accounted for by the higher local infection rate of the mosquitos, as conditions favourable to anopheline breeding are more or less uniform over the whole New Territories.
In November, an out-of-season typhoon accompanied by very heavy rainfall flooded large tracts in the New Territories, and opened up potential breeding places on the Island, which are normally dry at this time of the year.
A warm and sunny December following gave rise to ideal conditions for the breeding of A. jeyporiensis with the result that the peak of malaria, which usually occurs in November was continued well into December. This is well seen in the malaria figures for the Police Force.
Military works in the year necessitating the housing of heavily infected coolie labour on the outskirts of residential areas undoubtedly gave rise to a certain number of cases in districts in which malaria does not normally occur, and in which it had not been previously considered necessary to undertake anti-malarial work.
279. The local army strength figures are not available, but malaria amongst the troops in the New Territories was fairly high in view of the extensive operations in areas outside the control of the Bureau on the out-break of war. There were 351 cases amongst British troops. At Lyemun, there was a slight reduction in the number of cases of malaria in 1939. The Air Force, situated inside the area controlled by the Malaria Bureau, had only three cases of malaria in the year.
No cases of malaria were recorded from the 500 Indian and European staff of the Stanley Gaol or the Government Civil Hospital.
280. Night catching was discontinued in 1939, as inspectors previously working in the Laboratory were needed for field work under the expansion of the anti-malaria programme. One inspector only was retained in the Laboratory.
281. No new species were discovered in 1939. Identification of the species found gave the following results :—
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.