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INFECTIOUS DISEASES
The control of infectious diseases has always been one of the major
duties of a Public Health Department, but in the opinion of the public its
importance seems to have diminished in recent years. Deaths and
calamities are always interesting but the absence of these happenings
through prevention, creates no enthusiasm whatever in the public mind.
Unusual happenings are naturally given prominence in the press and
this can be misleading. During 1947 nearly 8,000 cases of poliomyelitis
were notified and there were 700 deaths. The epidemic was reported upon
in the press almost daily for some months. During the same year there
were 92,000 cases of whooping cough with 900 deaths, but as this was not
“news” it did not provoke any reports in the popular papers. In spite of
this, I am devoting more space to the diseases which did not occur in large
numbers than to those which caused many cases.
It is not unusual to confine the matter in this section of the Report to
the notifiable infectious diseases although the department is concerned
with all the infectious diseases, whether notifiable or not, and with
diseases which are preventable although they are not “infectious” in the
usual sense of the term. The reason is, of course, that unless the disease
is notifiable it is extremely difficult to obtain accurate information as to
the number of cases occurring in the area.
Of the notifiable diseases, an increased number of cases of measles,
whooping cough and poliomyelitis were notified as compared with 1949,
but the number of cases of the other diseases declined.
There were no cases of smallpox, typhus, or typhoid fever notified.
Smallpox is not now endemic in this country and all outbreaks originate
from abroad. Vaccination provides considerable protection even after
long periods and it is much to be regretted that the proportion of children
being vaccinated has dropped sharply since vaccination ceased to be
compulsory. It is not widely appreciated that vaccination in infancy is much
less painful and much less liable to unpleasant effects or complications
than vaccination when carried out for the first time in adult life, nor is it
fully appreciated that re-vaccination when carried out at intervals of a
few years, does not even cause any inconvenience. The prevention of
outbreaks of smallpox depends largely on the recognition of cases or of
contacts arriving in the country and the infrequency of outbreaks is due
to the efficiency of the Port Health Authorities. Notifications are received
of the names and addresses of persons coming into the Borough who may
have been in contact with smallpox, and they are kept under observation
for the necessary period. As members of the Public Health Department
are likely to come in contact with any case which occurs, efforts are made
to ensure that all the staff are always fully protected.
Typhoid Fever or Enteric Fever is now comparatively rare, and the
decrease in the number of cases is probably mainly due to the provision
of a pure piped water supply, the proper disposal of sewage and the