Roanoke Rapids daily herald. (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1948-1949, 1948-09-27
DR.. Young Points to School Opening
As. Need for accomplishing Need
For Guarding Children Against Ills

2
Robert F. Young, Halifax County
Health Officer, said today that
the opening of schools through.
out the country has re-empha.
sized the need for guarding a
gainst the communicable dis.
eases which are spread among
children.
OF these communicable dis.
eases, he said, diphtheria, scar.
let fever and measles are Of
particular Importance, since
there is a high incidence rate Of
the diseases among children pt,.
valent in the nation today.
The doctor said that diphtheris
usually makes its first appear
ance in this section of h c
country in September, moves to
peak of incidence around Nov.
ember and usually declines ir
the winter. Scarlet fever, which
follows diphtheria, appears more
frequently in late October, rises
to a peak in January or Feb.
ruary and starts to decline ir
the spring. Measles, he said us.
ually starts in the early winter
months and hits it's peak in the
spring months.
DR.. Young made the following
statement bout diphtheria
which is frequently considered
the most dangerous of the three
diseases:
Although the last great epide
mic of diphtheria occurred in the
United States in 1872 to 1876
there are still far too many cases
occurring among children II
North Carolina and other south
ern states. There are many sec
tons of the country, including
many large cities, where there
has not been a single death from
diphtheria over a period of ter
years. The principal reason fol
the decline is diphtheria in thi.
country is due mainly to large
sections of the population of chill
dren being adequately i'm
munized against this disease
The reason that we still hav,
considerable incidence of this di.
ease in No.,.h Carolina and Other
states in this section of the
country is that parents have no
taken advantage of the immuniz
ing agent which protects the chill
dren against this disease. Diph
liberia is caused by a specific
germ, the diphtheria bacillus
and children, particularly be
tween the ages of one and five
years, are especially susceptible
girls Slightly more than boys, bu
the mortality rate in boys i:
slightly higher because of theil
greater tendency to have the lar
yngeal form of the disease.
In recent years an increasing
proportion of cases has occurred
in adults, because the incidence
in children has been markedly
reduced by wide spread immuni
cation. During the recent Worlc
War II the leading epidemic dis
ease of the European continent
both as to morbidity and morta
lily, was diphtheria. Estimates
indicate at least a million cases
in l943 on that continent outside
of Soviet Russia, with a morta
lily exceeding five per cent.
There are three principal types
of 'diphtheria nasal, or the mild.
er form of the disease; pharyn
geal (throaD which is the typi
cal form of the disease; anc
laryngeal, or type of disease
which involves the larynx, or We
cal cords. The latter type of the
disease is the most dangerou:
and the most difficult to dag
nose. The diagnosis of diph
liberia is confirmed by the dis
covery of the diphtheria bacillus
either in smear or culture takel
from the nose or throat.
Diphtheria usually makes it
appearance in a child as a com
mon cold or sore throat and, TO
this reason, parents frequent,
wait too late to call a physician
for the child's life to be saved
Usually, children with diphtheri;
appear much sicker than the ten
perature and other symptoms
would indicate. The specisi,
treatment for diphtheria is diph
iberia antitoxin, and when give
in time and in adequate amour
is usually a life saving pre-
cedure. The deadly effects fror
diphtheria are caused by a loca
action of the germ itself on tn
membranes in the throat an,
nose and by toxin which tn
germ produces. Therefore, dip
iberia is not only a local dis
ease but is systemic as well an,
frequently results in serious in
jury to the heart muscle.
With rare exceptions, there i
no excuse for diphtheria today
If all infants were immunized a
gainst this disease between 81.
months and twelve months o
age, then given booster doses G