Los Banos Rotary Club History
Dr. Solgaard Gives Precaution Pointers On Polio Exposures

Declaring that with 19 cases of polio in Merced this year the county is considered a polio area, Dr. Albert Solgaard, local physician and surgeon, told members of the Rotary Club Tuesday noon that the people of this locality can provide at least some precaution from the disease by observing a few simple rules. No. 1, he said, is to avoid overwork and exhaustion, get plenty of sleep and rest especially when you have a bad cold. Avoid drinking from utensils used by other persons. Maintain sanitary premises and protect foodstuffs from flies, particularly the large blowflies. Most certainly, carefully wash fresh fruit before eating. And, call a physician immediately if you suspicion the disease in a member of your family.

The disease strikes most heavily, Dr. Solgaard said, among youngsters—if you are 40 or more you can forget about it. You're most probably too old and tough to get it anyway, though there is a remote possibility.

In epidemic stage in community, Dr. Solgaard explained it has been found that almost half the people have active polio virus in their systems, and many are active carriers of the disease though they personally may not be ill. Almost 80 per cent of all polio attacks, he said are of such mild nature they are passed off as common colds or flu, hence many people have had the disease without knowing it.

Most serious, of course, is the bulbar type, which has a 50 per cent mortality rate.

As for the future Dr. Solgaard emphasized that the gamma globulin serum offers only very temporary protection—five to six weeks. However, new vaccines are being developed and are proving effective, and Dr. Solgaard anticipates that within the next few years scientists and doctors will have achieved success in the long fight to minimize the disease.

November 19, 1954

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