Paralysis Off-Year

In the week ending June 25 there were 42 new cases of infantile paralysis in 46 States of the U. S., two more than in the corresponding week last year. It was just a year ago that poliomyelitis began increasing alarmingly: by July 25 there were 195 cases in New York City; by the second week of August, more than 1,200. Last year's epidemic spread from New York into New England, touched other parts of the country lightly, ran a three-month course. For those who feared that hot weather would bring another epidemic this year, Director William Hallock Park of the Bureau of Laboratories of New York's Department of Health had reassuring words last week. Said he: "Experience of health authorities all over the world indicates that a community which has suffered an extensive outbreak of poliomyelitis one year will escape a recurrence for from five to ten years to come."

Infantile paralysis spreads through nose & throat secretions. Most cases are therefore found in crowded centres. Health authorities have definitely concluded that the epidemics of 1916 (worst in U. S. history) and of 1931 started in dirty, overcrowded Union Street, Brooklyn, between 3rd and 5th Avenues.

Far more persons are exposed to infantile paralysis than ever contract the disease. The germ is present in the noses and throats of many healthy individuals. During epidemics most adults and children in the stricken areas pick up germs, acquire immunity without developing symptoms of the disease. This immunity lasts a lifetime. Each epidemic immunizes thousands of children. Not until these thousands are grown and other thousands have taken their places is another epidemic likely to occur. New York City had a local epidemic in 1907 (2,000 cases). Its epidemic of 1916 (9,000 cases) spread to the Mississippi. Last year's epidemic was smaller (4,000 cases in New York City), less widespread. The next epidemic in the New York-New England area should not occur until 1941 or 1942, certainly not for five more years.

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