Before COVID-19...The Polio Epidemic Of 1954 In Perth.
Polio is trending on social media as World Polio Day is on 24 October so I visited posts I had been researching and writing about the disease in the early years of the colony in Subiaco and Western Australia.
This post is a continuation of previous posts about infectious diseases before COVID-19 such as smallpox and diphtheria and their spread, the vaccination issues in Perth and Subiaco during the early years of the colony.
At the end of 1953 a polio epidemic begun in Perth. By February 1954, 124 cases were reported. In February 1954, 18 cases were reported the highest recorded for the State. Two cases were reported from Subiaco.
The first article from the West Australian provides details about the number of cases of polio reported. The second article from the West Australian provides further information about the problems with the manufacture of the polio vaccine, access to the vaccine for West Australians and how to stop the spread. The third article from the Kalgoorlie Miner provides information about the type of restrictions put in place during the epidemic and the visit by the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh who were vaccinated with gramma-globulin during their time in Canberra.
The final article is from the Sunday Times in 1948 about a student Valma Davies, age 15 from Subiaco who won the Hamilton History Prize for school students while she had polio.
The articles are from Trove, the database of the National Library of Australia. No copyright infringement intended.
West Australian, 27 February 1954
W.A. Polio Cases Reach A Record
There have been 81 cases of poliomyelitis in W.A. this month, 14 cases more than the previous highest incidence on record. These figures were announced by the Commissioner of Public Health (Dr. L. Henzell) late yesterday afternoon.
The previous highest number recorded in this State was 67 cases in July during the 1948 epidemic. Since January 1, this year, the health department has received notification of 96 confirmed cases of polio in the State mostly from the metropolitan area.
Last Tuesday when the department issued the latest total for the month, 58 cases had been notified. The latest figures released represent an increase of 25 cases in three days.
124 Reported
Since the epidemic was first noticed on October 1, 124 cases have been reported to the Health Department. The department was moving yesterday to implement its plans to combat the outbreak by spraying schools and sending out bulletins to local health authorities to check on cases in their districts.
The incidence of the disease since January 1 in the various localities throughout the State is shown in the table below:
Armadale...3 Bassendean... 2 Bayswater...2 Belmont...2 Beverley...1 Claremont...2 Capel...1 Darling Range...6. Fremantle...13 E.Fremantle...4 N.Fremantle...1 Fremantle Road Bg...3 Guildford...1 Guildford...1 Harvey...1 Kale...Rd. Bg...1 Manjimup...1 Melville...8 Midland Junction...5 Mundaring...1 Nedlands...2 Northam...1 Perth C.C...12 South Perth...Rd. Bg...2 Subiaco...2 Swan...3 Tammin...2 Upper Chapman...1 Wongan.Ballidu...1 Yirgarn...2
One suspected case was reported at Geraldton yesterday.
Bunbury Not Affected
BUNBURY, Fri. No poliomyelitis has occurred in Bunbury during February but it has just been confirmed that a ten year-old Bunbury boy sent to Perth early in January, was a polio victim. He is now receiving treatment at the polio centre at Subiaco. This has been the only Bunbury case of polio during the present epidemic.
West Australian, 3 March 1954.
Polio Total Now
Stands At 114
The Health Department has been notified of 18 more cases of poliomyelitis since last Friday, bringing the total in this State since the beginning of the year to 114 cases.
These figures were re-leased yesterday by the Commissioner of Health (Dr. L. Henzell). Dr. Henzell said that: it was too early yet to assess the virulence of the polio epidemic, but more paralytic cases than non-paralytic cases had so far been notified.
Most of the new cases notified yesterday were in the metropolitan area but two were reported from Albany. Cases were reported from Subiaco, South Perth, Fremantle, Bayswater, Victoria Park, Como, Parkerville, Nedlands; West. Perth, Mundaring, Safety Bay, Mt. Hawthorn and Albany.
Record Month
Because the 18 cases which have occurred since last Friday were notified to the department yesterday, they are being added to the March total although two days of this period were in February. The total of 18 cases notified in February is the highest recorded in any outbreak in this State.
The previous highest was 67 in July, 1948, when a severe epidemic was in progress.
The February figure would have been higher but for the holiday yesterday when the department was not open to receive notifications.
Referring to the inoculation of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh in Canberra last week with gramma-globulin, Dr. Henzell said that it would be impossible to carry out mass inoculations with this serum in W.A.
The production of gramma-globulin was in its infancy in Australia it was produced on a small scale at the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories, Melbourne.
No Machinery
Dr. Henzell said that supplies of the serum available in Australia were quite inadequate to attempt any large-scale inoculations in W.A. Its production required elaborate laboratory equipment and there was no machinery available for it in this State. Tests with gamma-globulin for prevention of polio were now being carried out in the United States he continued.
There appeared to be some confusion in the minds of the public concerning the meaning of the expression "faecal contamination," Dr. Henzell said.
"Faeces" was the term which was used for excrement, or the motion from the bowels.
The virus which caused polio was present in the bowel of the person infected. It was estimated that there might be up to 100 people infected for every case showing signs of the disease itself.
Contamination
Dr. Henzell said that the contamination of hands and, hence, of food, might not be obvious or visible.
The hands might be apparently clean after a visit to the toilet and yet still be contaminated.
Similarly, it had been found that swimming pools were invariably contaminated with faeces by the bathers themselves.
This was the reason for the warning to the public that they should be scrupulously careful in washing their hands after visiting the toilet, before handling food, and that they avoid bathing in swimming pools and non-tidal waters.
The Northern Districts Boy Scouts Association has cancelled plans to bring scouts to Perth for the Queen's visit. Plans had been made for scouts from Carnamah, Perenjori, Caron and Morawa to have the hospitality of the No. 1 West Perth troop and to take part in lining the Royal progress in Fraser-avenue.
Kalgoorlie Miner, 27 April 1954
POLIO EPIDEMIC CONSIDERED OVER
All Temporary Restrictions Lifted
Perth, April 26.-
The Minister for Health, Mr. Nulsen, said today that he had been advised by the Commissioner of Public Health, Dr. Henzell, that poliomyelitis notifications had now returned to a level which suggested that the epidemic had subsided.
As a result temporary restrictions caused by the epidemic have been withdrawn.
Mr. Nulsen said that approval had been given for the resumption of normal practice in immunisations, dental procedures and the removal of tonsils.
Only one case of polio was reported during the weekend. This was paralytic.
The Minister added that when the commencement of the epidemic was announced on February 12 there had been 11 cases - including nine paralytic - recorded during the preceding week.
The weekly rate then rose steeply and reached a beak during the week ended March 19, when 62 cases - 26 paralytic - were notified. A progressive decline followed so that during the week ended April 23 only notifications - four paralytic - were received.
Precautions Pay Dividends
Mr. Nulsen said that despite some apprehension that the Royal visit might result in an increase in the number of notifications no such increase had materialised. One could only assume that the precautions advised by the Public Health Department, and adopted, had been largely responsible for this satisfactory state of affairs.
He considered that this vindicated the policy of the Government for the Royal tour.
The Minister paid a tribute to Dr. Henzell and the Government Epidemiologist, Dr. D. J. R. Snow, for the work done in bringing the epidemic under control.
Mr. Nulsen also expressed, on behalf of his colleagues, the officers of the department and himself, appreciation of the valuable service rendered by members of the State poliomyelitis advisory committee, the assistance of the medical profession, the co-operation of the public, the press and the radio, and of the education authorities and the State officials of the Royal tour.
Although some criticism had been levelled at the newspapers and the department, because of the publicity given, he felt sure that the wide publication of precautionary advice had contributed substantially to the curtailment of the epidemic and a reduction in the occurrence severity of paralysis.
Sunday Times, 12 December 1948
WON PRIZE DESPITE POLIO
Although a polio victim for 6 months, Valma Davies, 15, of Rokeby-rd., Subiaco, had such a substantial points lead that she was awarded the Hamilton History Prize for 1948 at St. Mary's C. of E. School, West Perth. She also gained Form 5A prize for her example of courage and cheerfulness. On Friday she was motored to the school from Infectious Diseases' convalescent section to receive her awards, and yesterday, just after the photo was taken, she returned to IDB.
