A Hawke's Bay couple found an old newspaper cutting containing warnings against Asian Influenza whilst renovating Hastings home. Photo / Supplied
A Hawke's Bay couple found an old newspaper cutting containing warnings against Asian Influenza whilst renovating Hastings home. Photo / Supplied
A Hawke's Bay couple found a six decades old newspaper cutting containing a warning about the potential spread of an Asian flu whilst renovating their Hastings home.
Charles St residents Colin Bennett and Leigh Morgan found an old Hawke's Bay Herald article titled 'Rapid Spread of Asian Flu Encircles World',published in 1957, while replacing weatherboards.
Leigh said the coincidence of finding the article about Asian Influenza while on lockdown for Covid-19 was surprising.
"Colin was doing repairs on our family home during isolation lockdown and pulled the old lino up and found the newspaper," she said.
"Colin first looked at the classified listings and noticed a saddle for sale for 25 pounds."
Leigh added: "Colin later removed all the lino and was skimming the newspaper and noticed the article and I thought I have to take a photo because we are currently in lockdown for Covid-19 which is currently encircling the world now."
The Charles St residents found the article titled 'Rapid Spread of Asian Flu Encircles World' while replacing weatherboards. Photo / Supplied
The article stated that Asian Influenza "swept round the world in less than five months" reaching its peak in Chile with an estimated 200,000 cases.
"In New Zealand, the disease was spreading rapidly in Wellington and other towns and, according to a cable received today, the virus had been identified as of the Asian type," the article said.
The article stated cases were confirmed and increasing in Egypt, Sudan, Korea, Netherlands, South Africa, United States, Portuguese India and more.
A Hawke's Bay couple found an old newspaper cutting containing warnings against Asian Influenza whilst renovating Hastings home. Photo / Supplied
Leigh said the Charles St home where the article was uncovered was first purchased by her grandmother Iris McFayon in 1948 – a former teacher in the region.
"Iris moved in with her mother Helen Mary Howell and raised her three children, Dorothy, Elizabeth and James in the house," she said.
"The room where the newspapers were found was once a veranda. Iris had the front door and side glass panels moved to enclose the veranda during an upgrade and the room became a playroom for the children.
"I assume this happened in or around August 10, 1957, as this is the date on the newspaper."
The Asian Influenza, a category 2 flu pandemic, originated in Guizhou, China, in early 1955 and lasted until 1958.
The virus spread to Singapore in February 1957, reached Hong Kong by April, and the United States by June. The death toll worldwide was between 1 and 4 million people including roughly 70,000 in the US.
