WILLOW CREEK — The Willow Creek School has been closed for a period of six weeks following the diagnosis of three cases of infantile paralysis — poliomyelitis — in the town, Dr. Henry Albright confirmed this week.
The three cases, all in children under the age of twelve, are the first confirmed polio cases in Willow Creek since the 1916 outbreak that affected five children and claimed two lives. The current patients — Margaret Dumont, age 8; Samuel Girard, age 11; and Esther Crowley, age 6 — are all recovering at home under the care of their families and Dr. Albright’s supervision.
“Two of the children have mild cases and are expected to recover fully,” Dr. Albright told the Gazette. “The third — Samuel Girard — has experienced some paralysis in his left leg. Whether he will regain full use of the limb is not yet clear. We are doing everything that can be done.”
Dr. Albright emphasized that there is no treatment for polio beyond bed rest and supportive care. He has advised the selectmen to close the school for the duration of the outbreak and to prohibit large public gatherings. The selectmen have concurred, voting unanimously at an emergency meeting.
The Gazette, for the duration of the school closure, will run public health notices on the front page of every edition. The notices, written by Dr. Albright, advise parents to keep children away from crowded places, to wash hands thoroughly and frequently, and to report any symptoms — fever, headache, stiff neck, or muscle weakness — to a physician immediately.
“This is a disease that spreads silently,” Dr. Albright wrote in the first notice. “A child may appear perfectly well in the morning and be unable to walk by evening. Parents must be vigilant.”
The school closure has created hardship for many families, particularly those in which both parents work or in which a single parent is the sole breadwinner. The relief committee has organized a network of home care for children whose parents cannot afford to stay home.
Maeve O’Donnell, now 17 and helping at the General Store, has volunteered to help supervise children at the Community Hall, where the relief committee has established a supervised play area. “The children need to be together,” she said. “They just cannot be together in a schoolroom.”
The school is expected to reopen in mid-October, assuming no new cases are reported. A fourth suspected case — a two-year-old in the Farr family — proved to be a false alarm, caused by a high fever from an ear infection.