§ 121. Sir F. Medlicottasked the Minister of Health what steps are being taken by his Department and by the public health authorities generally to deal with the possibility that the new form of influenza which is now raging in the Far East may spread to Europe and reach Great Britain; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Vosper:The outbreaks of influenza in the East are being caused by a new variant of the virus, but all reports are that the illness is clinically mild in character. There are standing arrangements for information to be supplied about outbreaks of influenza in this country through general practitioners, industrial medical officers and others, and port medical officers report epidemic influenza among persons arriving in this country. As a precaution, practitioners are now being reminded of these arrangements. The characteristics of this new strain of virus are being investigated at the World Influenza Centre and in other research departments.