London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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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
Beckenham 1945
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Beckenham]
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One of the younger group, a child of ten months, developed
diarrhoea and vomiting. She was at once excluded from the
Nursery and bacteriological examination of her faeces showed
B. Dvsenterae Sonné present.
| Age of Contact | 6 months -1 year | 1-2 years | 2-5 years | Total Children | Adults |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Those who showed no B. Dysenteriae Sonné had two further
examinations at 2-3 day intervals. Those who showed B. Dysenteriae
Sonné were examined again at weekly intervals. At least
three negative results were required before these latter contacts
were regarded as free from infection. Seven children remained
positive after two weeks and these were treated with sulpha
guanidine. There were some relapses and the nursery was not
completely clear of infection for six weeks.
During the investigation no new admissions to the nursery were
made and strict precautions were taken to prevent the spread of
infection. As none of the contacts whose faeces showed B. Dysenteriae
Sonne present, was ill they were allowed to attend the nursery
and were isolated from the other children. The staff looking after
these children had no contact with the other children.
The investigation showed clearly the high percentage (65%)
of child contacts who were carriers of B. Dysenteriae Sonné and
the persistence of this condition in more than half of these positives.
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