§ 13. . Lieut.-Colonel HENEAGEasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has any information to give as to the outbreak of yellow fever on the West Coast of Africa; whether the outbreak is now stopped; and whether the necessary help from research stations and personnel at home has been promptly forthcoming?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERAs the reply is rather long, I propose, with my hon. and gallant Friend's permission, to circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the reply
§ Yellow fever is endemic among the natives of West Africa, and thus it is not, strictly speaking, correct to refer to an "outbreak of yellow fever" During the past few months cases of yellow fever have been reported from each of the four West African Dependencies. In the Gambia the first case diagnosed as one of yellow fever (European) proved fatal on the 6th October, 1934, and later three other Europeans also succumbed, among whom were Mr. Parish, the Colonial Secretary, and Mr. Hamlyn, Assistant Colonial Secretary. Three African cases were also notified of which one proved fatal. The usual precautions were taken to deal with this situation and the Island of St. Mary was placed in quarantine. The order declaring the Island an infected district was cancelled on the 18th January, since when no further cases have been reported. In this connection I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to a reply which 1 gave on the 21st December to a question by the hon. Member for Gower (Mr. D. Grenfell). Between 21st November and 15th January five African cases of yellow fever were notified from the Gold Coast. of which two proved fatal. On 24th December it was reported that two Europeans were suffering from yellow fever in Kano in Northern Nigeria, but both have since recovered. Previous to this, three Europeans had died at Kano, 343 and it is suspected that they were suffering from yellow fever. A number of African cases, of which one proved fatal, were also notified, and the usual precautions were taken to prevent the spread of infection. On the 21st January a suspected case of yellow fever, which was later confirmed, was reported from Sierra Leone. The victim in this case was a European who died on 26th January. With regard to the second part of the question, I am able to say that no new cases have occurred since the middle of January
To combat this disease in the Gambia, assistance was obtained in the first place from the Gold Coast and from Sierra Leone. I should like to take this opportunity of expressing my thanks, and the gratitude of the Government of the Gambia to Dr. Howells, of the Gold Coast, and to Dr. Davey and Dr. Duncan of Sierra Leone for the zeal and energy with which they handled a difficult situation, and to the Wellcome Research Institution, who kindly gave permission for Dr. G. M. Findlay, O. B. E., to visit Bathurst in order to conduct inoculations against yellow fever. The Governor reports that, "Apart from the inoculations (152 persons in all were successfully inoculated) Dr. Finlay worked tirelessly, investigating the cause and extent of the outbreak, and also gathering a mass of data relating to the incidence of yellow fever and other diseases for scientific examination in London. It would be difficult to express our thanks too warmly or to exaggerate the importance to West Africa of the conclusions to be drawn from his work here."