XN000022-1975-08-31 — Page 1

PRH T

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GIS 新聞處

SUNDAY, AUGUST

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DAILY INFORMATION BULLETIN

POLIO HOW THE BATTLE IS FOUGHT IN HONG KONG

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YEARS OF INTENSIFIED IMMUNISATION PROGRAMMES LAUNCHED BY THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAVE NOW RENDERED HONG KONG FREE FROM THE DREADED DISEASE OF POLIOMYELITIS, WHICH WAS ONCE A MAJOR KILLER DISEASE IN THIS TERRITORY.

FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS, THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY CASES OF POLIOMYELITIS REPORTED, WHICH RANKED FOURTH IN 1962 IN THE MAJOR CAUSES OF DEATH AMONG COMMUNICABLE DISEASES IN HONG KONG, THE LAST CASE OCCURRED IN AUGUST 1973.

POLIOMYELITIS IS AN ACUTE VIRAL DISEASE WITH A WIDE RANGE OF SEVERITY, FRC1 SUDCLINICAL INFECTION, NON-PARALYTIC ILLNESS TO A PARALYTIC CONDITION OR FATZLICH, THE INVASION OF THE CENTRAL NERVOURS SYSTEM AND SELECTIVE INVOLVEMENT OF MOTOR CELLS RESULT IN FLACCID PARALYSIS, HOST COMMONLY OF LOWER EXTREMITIS.

THE DISEASE FIRST BECAME NOTIFIABLE IN HONG KONG IN JULY 1948. THE INCIDENCE OF POLIOMYELITIS REACHED ITS PEAK IN 1958 AND 1962 WITH 262 AND 363 CASES, REPRESENTING A NOTIFICATION RATE OF 9.2 AND 11 PER 100,000 POPULATION RESPECTIVELY.

THE INFLUX OF PEOPLE FROM CHINA AND THE IMPROVED LIVING STANDARDS AFTER THE WAR HAD RENDERED THE ENVIRONMENT MORE SUITABLE FOR THE SPREAD OF THE DISEASE.

WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF THE ORAL SADIN VACCINE' TO HONG KONG IN 1963, THE CASES SHOWED A MARKED DECREASE. THE GRADUAL DECLINE HAD BEEN MAINTAINED SINCE 1966 AND TOWARDS THE END OF 1973 NO CASES WERE REPORTED.

THE LARGEST NUMBER OF DEATHS FROM POLJOMYELITIS EVER RECORDED WAS IN 1962 WHEN 52 PEOPLE DIED. THE MORTALITY RATE OF THE DISEASE VARIED WIDELY FROM NIL IN 1949 AND 1971 TO 60 PER CENT IN 1967 IN WHICH THREE OUT OF FIVE CASES DIED.

POLIOMYELITIS IS LARGELY A DISEASE OF CHILDREN. IN THE PAST, 93.1 PER CENT OF THE CASES OCCURRED IN CHILDREN UNDER 15. THE 1-4 AGE GROUP WAS MOST VULNERABLE, ACCOUNTING FOR TWO-THIRDS OF THE CASES.

ON THE OBSERVATIONS OVER THE PAST 24 YEARS FROM 1951 TO 1974, ABOUT 59 PER CENT OF THE CASES OCCURRED IN THE WARMER MONTHS BETWEEN MAY AND AUGUST.

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THE FIRST MAJOR ANTI-POLIO CAMPAIGN WAS LAUNCHED IN 1963 AFTER EXTENSIVE CONSULTATION WITH DR. SADIN, THE FOUNDER OF THE ORAL VACCINE. THE VACCINE WAS GIVEN IN MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH CENTRES, CLINICS, HOSPITALS, SCHOOLS, MOBILE TEAMS AND STATIC CENTRES. THE RESPONSE WAS EXCELLENT AND THIS BROUGHT THE NUMBER OF CASES FROM 363 IN 1962 DOWN TO 53 IN 1963. THESE CAMPAIGNS WERE INTENSIFIED YEAR AFTER YEAR.

Issued by Government Information Services, Beaconsfield House, Hong Kong. Tel: 5-233191

A SVOKEGMAN.