[April 17, 1922 – New Zealand Herald] Owing to cases of typhoid fever having been notified in the Mount Albert district during the last few days, the medical officer of health, Dr. T. J. Hughes, has taken certain precautionary measures and recommends others for private observance until further investigations have determined the cause of the outbreak.
The water mains in the district have been flushed, and the reservoir has been treated with chloride of lime. In the meantime, the use of the local water supply has been discontinued and supplies are being drawn from the city service. As additional safeguards, Dr. Hughes advises residents in the Mount Albert district to boil all water used for domestic purposes; milk should also be boiled. Care should be taken to protect all foodstuffs from flies, and the use of vegetables eaten in the raw state after washing, such a celery or salads, should be discontinued. Only water that has been boiled or sterilised should be used for cleansing the teeth.
For the sterilisation of water in small volume Dr. Hughes recommends the following:— Keep in a lightly stoppered bottle, ready for use, a stock solution made by adding two teaspoonfills of fresh chloride of lime to one quart of water. To two gallons of water add one teaspoonful of this solution and let it stand at least 15 minutes before use. Water thus sterilised may also be used for washing the hands and face.
THE TYPHOID EPIDEMIC. POSITION MUCH IMPROVED.
[May 27, 1922 – Auckland Star] In regard to the recent epidemic of enteric fever in the Mt. Albert District, sufficient time has now elapsed to permit of an estimate being made as to the efficacy of the precautions taken. Though an occasional case of typhoid still occurs all those during the last two weeks have been either cases which have been exposed to direct infection from previous cases in the house or have been ailing so long as to prove that the infection was received before the precautions were in force,” remarked Dr. R. H. Makgill, of the Health Department, to a reporter.
“The water now supplied in the district is from the city’s supply derived from the Waitakere Ranges, in regard to which there is no suspicion of typhoidal infection. There is no greater need to boil the water in the Mt. Albert district than in any other area supplied by the city water. It is well, however, for residents in the Mt. Albert district, especially those in whose homes typhoid cases have occurred, to be very careful as to domestic cleanliness.”
Dr. Makgiil added: “There may be small undetected foci or infection left by patients, and from these places flies and so on might carry germs. Anything therefore in the way of dirt or accumulation of rubbish which might encourage flies should be removed.” No fresh cases were reported to the department this morning, and there were no further admissions to the Auckland Hospital.