Dangerous Bugs Per

Airmail How New Services May Spread Disease

IN view of the extension of the airmail service, across the Pacific Ocean, the following review of a letter in “Nature” will be of great interest (says the Fiji “Agricultural Journal”).

Dealing with the proposed alternative air route via Africa to India and Aus tralia, Dr. F. G. S. Whitfield draws at tention to the danger of the arrival in aeroplanes of insects capable of causing malaria and yellow fever. The areas where yellow fever is endemic are much greater, both in Africa and South America, than was realised even a year ago and not only can certain mosquitoes transmit the virus (disease-producing substance or body) by biting, but monkeys can be oral ly infected with this disease by simple feeding. The virus also can live over a fortnight inside the body-cavity of at least one species of cockroach.

The result of over four years’ collection of insects found inside aircraft at Khar toum (more than 2,000 machines exam ined in three years) resulted in 146 spec ies, comprising 3,000 individuals being as sembled, including house-flies and the malarial yellow fever mosquitoes.

The writer’s conclusion is that until the problem of insect control in aircraft has been solved it would seem unwise to start a regular service between Australia and Africa, across the Indian Ocean, on the route surveyed by the flying boat Guba.

Mr. H. G. Rollinson paid a holiday visit to New Zealand in November. He is well-known on the Morobe goldfield. New Guinea, as a mining engineer.