Soldiers from returning from war and The Niagara speculation: Troopships that were returning from World War One were often blamed to have brought a new strand of a more severe type of influenza home. Many soldiers had caught the influenza virus from battling at war overseas and as a result, they carried it home during October; hence introducing a new influenza virus in New Zealand. Many believed that this influenza virus was a new, septic and pneumonic form unlike any seen before. The troopship, Niagara, was largely blamed to be responsible for the introduction of the severe wave of this flu. The S.S Niagara arrived in Auckland on the 12th of October 1918, carrying soldiers returning from Europe as well as other civilians, who were reportedly suffering from the influenza illness. Reportedly, a crew member had already died due to the virus, before the ship had docked in Auckland and there were also about 100 cases of the flu on board. There were about 25 Niagara passengers requiring urgent hospital treatment. A fortnight later, the severe wave of influenza had reached its peak and spread across New Zealand throughout late October and November. The timing of the arrival of this ship and when the virus had taken its toll had certainly started and added to the speculation among New Zealanders at that time, as many were highly certain that the Niagara troopship was the main source of the infection in New Zealand.
Failure to quarantine: Despite already having a large number of passengers on board who were down with the flu, the ship was still given the approval by Public Health Minister George Warren Russell to prevent undergoing quarantine and Russell allowed all passengers to disembark. It was the failure to quarantine the Niagara ship upon arrival which led to further controversies, around New Zealand, surrounding the idea that this action taken was to be sole cause for the introduction of this deadly flu in New Zealand. As Prime Minister William Massey and his deputy Sir Joseph Ward were on board the Niagara as passengers at that time, rumours and speculations grew among New Zealanders; that it was because of these highly important and authoritative positioned people that the ship had been able to clear. Many New Zealanders argued that the prime minister and his deputy had refused to be quarantined and hence, the Niagara did not go through quarantine despite a reported number of passengers who were already down with severe cases of the flu. It was widely believed that the use of quarantine regulations could have prevented the influenza virus from entering New Zealand. This angered and enraged a large number of the New Zealand public.
However, Massey and Ward had later declined taking any part or position in the quarantine decision that was even made. They further stated that they had only wanted to be treated as ordinary passengers and not gain any sort of special treatment.
Failure to quarantine: Despite already having a large number of passengers on board who were down with the flu, the ship was still given the approval by Public Health Minister George Warren Russell to prevent undergoing quarantine and Russell allowed all passengers to disembark. It was the failure to quarantine the Niagara ship upon arrival which led to further controversies, around New Zealand, surrounding the idea that this action taken was to be sole cause for the introduction of this deadly flu in New Zealand. As Prime Minister William Massey and his deputy Sir Joseph Ward were on board the Niagara as passengers at that time, rumours and speculations grew among New Zealanders; that it was because of these highly important and authoritative positioned people that the ship had been able to clear. Many New Zealanders argued that the prime minister and his deputy had refused to be quarantined and hence, the Niagara did not go through quarantine despite a reported number of passengers who were already down with severe cases of the flu. It was widely believed that the use of quarantine regulations could have prevented the influenza virus from entering New Zealand. This angered and enraged a large number of the New Zealand public.
However, Massey and Ward had later declined taking any part or position in the quarantine decision that was even made. They further stated that they had only wanted to be treated as ordinary passengers and not gain any sort of special treatment.
Acting Chief Health Officer, Robert Makgill; he played a big part in the investigation in relation to the sole cause of the introduction of the flu in New Zealand as well as the publishing of a new 1920 Health Act, following
the epidemic. (Left Photo below)
Source: http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/robert-makgill
the epidemic. (Left Photo below)
Source: http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/robert-makgill
Maybe not the Niagara: Further investigations established that the Niagara may not have actually been the main cause of introducing the second wave of influenza in New Zealand. There was evidence to suggest so; because influenza has an incubation period of about 48 hours. However, in Auckland, the severe influenza virus had only begun to take its toll within a fortnight and in other towns and cities, it took a month. Also, there was already an existence of a milder first wave of influenza present in New Zealand and there were cases, even deaths, from the existing influenza in Auckland. Although the original strand of this flu was not as severe as the second wave, Bacteriologist Dr. Makgill later argued that the severe virus was not an introduction of a new virus, but simply a mutation within the current influenza virus present in the first wave, which could have been triggered due to poor weather experienced in Auckland city during that month. Makgill pointed out that if the Niagara had carried a new influenza virus, a trend would have occurred in which "a rash of local epidemics" should have appeared in a matter of just a few days. However, this did not take place. Historian Geoffrey Rice further stated that, “A balanced view of the available evidence tends to suggest that the epidemic on the Niagara was a last fling of the mild first wave of the pandemic rather than the first outburst of the deadly second wave.”
Furthermore, the Niagara had left North America well in advance of the severe second wave of the virus and according to Makgill, it was impossible for the ship to pick up a new deadly flu strand. It was also reported that the type of influenza virus that was present in the Niagara was simply the same type of influenza that already existed in the city. Hence, based on this reason, the decision that was made to clear the Niagara was justified by Russell. Despite medical associations’ protest against the prevention of quarantine of the Niagara, Russell had managed to justify his actions by stating that "all necessary precautions had been taken" and that because he had been advised by the doctors on board that the disease in the Niagara was just the ordinary influenza like the one which had existed in Auckland, he allowed the ship to clear, not from the pressure of politicians. Had the new severe influenza been from a different or new severe strand of virus, people would have only fell sick from ordinary influenza before the ship's arrival. However, there were already a number of recorded deaths even before the arrival of the Niagara, suggesting that both the milder and severe waves of influenza would have originated from the same virus. Perhaps the Niagara had no sort of relation to the source of the severe flu and that the arrival of the ship was purely coincidental.
Second possibility: Makgill concluded a second possibility as to how a severe influenza virus could have been introduced to New Zealand. He pointed out that second wave influenza virus could have easily been sourced from the other 6 troopships arriving in Auckland, around the same period as Niagara’s arrival, too. However, these 6 troopships did not gain as much negative notice from New Zealanders despite having had an equal chance of carrying the virus as the Niagara. Auckland city could have developed its own severe form of the flu, spreading to the rest of the country where there was evidence suggesting that many cases of influenza around New Zealand were traced back to Auckland. Even so, Makgill concluded that because it was reported that the influenza virus carried from overseas was simply a mild and ordinary influenza, the virus introduced from the troopship, even the Niagara, had to recombine with the prevailing/ existing influenza in the city to have caused the severity and extreme toll of the second wave.
True cause still not certain: Until this day, it remains unanswered as to the arrival of the Niagara having any connection with being the main source of a new influenza virus being introduced into New Zealand. Many New Zealanders remain sharply divided as to the cause of the flu virus suddenly spreading so rapidly and becoming deadly. However, at that time, many people simply blamed the Niagara for being the source of this deadly flu, without having ample evidence to even prove so.
Furthermore, the Niagara had left North America well in advance of the severe second wave of the virus and according to Makgill, it was impossible for the ship to pick up a new deadly flu strand. It was also reported that the type of influenza virus that was present in the Niagara was simply the same type of influenza that already existed in the city. Hence, based on this reason, the decision that was made to clear the Niagara was justified by Russell. Despite medical associations’ protest against the prevention of quarantine of the Niagara, Russell had managed to justify his actions by stating that "all necessary precautions had been taken" and that because he had been advised by the doctors on board that the disease in the Niagara was just the ordinary influenza like the one which had existed in Auckland, he allowed the ship to clear, not from the pressure of politicians. Had the new severe influenza been from a different or new severe strand of virus, people would have only fell sick from ordinary influenza before the ship's arrival. However, there were already a number of recorded deaths even before the arrival of the Niagara, suggesting that both the milder and severe waves of influenza would have originated from the same virus. Perhaps the Niagara had no sort of relation to the source of the severe flu and that the arrival of the ship was purely coincidental.
Second possibility: Makgill concluded a second possibility as to how a severe influenza virus could have been introduced to New Zealand. He pointed out that second wave influenza virus could have easily been sourced from the other 6 troopships arriving in Auckland, around the same period as Niagara’s arrival, too. However, these 6 troopships did not gain as much negative notice from New Zealanders despite having had an equal chance of carrying the virus as the Niagara. Auckland city could have developed its own severe form of the flu, spreading to the rest of the country where there was evidence suggesting that many cases of influenza around New Zealand were traced back to Auckland. Even so, Makgill concluded that because it was reported that the influenza virus carried from overseas was simply a mild and ordinary influenza, the virus introduced from the troopship, even the Niagara, had to recombine with the prevailing/ existing influenza in the city to have caused the severity and extreme toll of the second wave.
True cause still not certain: Until this day, it remains unanswered as to the arrival of the Niagara having any connection with being the main source of a new influenza virus being introduced into New Zealand. Many New Zealanders remain sharply divided as to the cause of the flu virus suddenly spreading so rapidly and becoming deadly. However, at that time, many people simply blamed the Niagara for being the source of this deadly flu, without having ample evidence to even prove so.
William Ferguson Massey, Prime Minister of New Zealand during the epidemic crisis. He was largely blamed for the refusal of quarantine on board the Niagara;
hence he many New Zealanders believed that he was responsible for introducing the influenza into New Zealand.
(Left photo)
Source: Google Images