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57
The work of the infectious disease visitors as agents of the medical
officer of health includes the investigation of home conditions, the
giving of advice to patients and contacts, particularly where the patient
is left at home, and in general the taking of such measures as may be
necessary to combat the spread of infection.
The following is a summary of the work in visiting infectious
diseases carried out during the year which is in addition to the visits
paid by the sanitary inspectors referred to in table 20:—

Poliomyelitis
1955 had the highest incidence of poliomyelitis since the epidemic
of 1947. 63 cases were confirmed and of these 43 were paralytic and
20 non-paralytic. They were fairly well distributed over the borough,
24 being in the west, 24 in the north, and 15 in the south divisions.
41 were males and 22 females. Table 39 gives figures for this borough
over the last 9 years, the time during which the incidence has been high.