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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Battersea 1959
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Battersea Borough]
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16
Infectious and Other Diseases.
During the year 1,187 notifications were received, which, when
compared with 1,152 cases notified in 1958, shows an increase of 35.
This is mainly due to the number of measles notifications received—702
as compared with 614 in 1958 (an increase of 88)—modified by a decrease
in the number of notifications of dysentery and whooping cough.
One case of diphtheria occurred during 1959 in a woman aged 25
years. It is thought that she contracted the disease from her son, who.
it was later discovered, was a diphtheria carrier. She had not been
immunised. This is the first case that has occurred within the Borough
since 1953.
There was a decrease in the number of dysentery cases notified,
167 as compared with 195 in 1958, but it will be remembered, during
1958, there was an outbreak in one of the schools within the Borough.
Taking this outbreak into consideration, therefore, there was a sharp
increase in the number of individual cases notified, 167, as compared
with 63 in 1958. A total of 2,010 specimens were submitted for examination
in connection with this disease.
Two cases of para-typhoid occurred within the Borough during the
year. In both cases the source of infection was not discovered.
Thirteen cases of poliomyelitis were notified during 1959, 11 Paralytic
and 2 non-paralytic. In the case of a nine-month-old girl the
disease proved fatal. Only one case had been immunised.
Analysis of Cases (after Correction of Diagnosis) of Infectious Disease Notified during the Year 1959.
| Notifiable Disease | Cases Notified in Battersea, in Age Groups | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 0— | 1— | 2— | 3— | 4— | 5— | 10- | 15— | 25— | 45— | 65& over | ||
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 6 | |||||||||||||
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | |||
| 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | ||
| — | — | — | 6 | ||||||||||
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| — | |||||||||||||
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| — | 6 | ||||||||||||
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | ||||||
| — | — | — | 1 | — | — | ||||||||
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | ||||||
| — | 1 | — | — | — | |||||||||
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| — | — | — | 6 | ||||||||||
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1 | — | — | — | ||||||||||