Protective effect of maritime quarantine in South Pacific jurisdictions, 1918-19 influenza pandemic

Abstract

We reviewed mortality data of the 1918-19 influenza pandemic for 11 South Pacific Island jurisdictions. Four of these appear to have successfully delayed or excluded the arrival of pandemic influenza by imposing strict maritime quarantine. They also experienced lower excess death rates than the other jurisdictions that did not apply quarantine measures.

Figure

Comparison of attributable mortality rate from pandemic influenza versus time of arrival of influenza into South Pacific Island jurisdictions for the pandemic beginning in 1918. Sources for mortality data with wave-specific crude mortality rates per 1,000 population (r) from pandemic influenza: American Samoa (r = 0) (7,8); Australia (Continental) (r = 2.4) (9); Fiji (r = 52) (2); Guam (r = 45) (8,10); Nauru (r = 160) (3); New Caledonia (r<10) (11); New Zealand (r = 7.4) (12); Samoa (r = 220) (2); Tahiti (r = 190) (13); Tasmania (r = 0.81) (6); and Tonga (r = 840) (2). Sources for date of pandemic influenza arrival data (where different from the source of the mortality data detailed above): Australia (Continental) (5). Blue square, strict maritime quarantine; red diamond, incomplete maritime quarantine; green circle, no border control.