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
Willesden 1955
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Willesden]
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Table II
| July | August | September | October | Nov, | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 23 | 30 | 6 | 13 | 20 | 27 | 3 | 10 | 17 | 24 | 1 | 8 | 15 | 22 | 29 | 5 | |
| Confirmed cases : | |||||||||||||||||
| Paralytic | — | — | 1 | 5 | — | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | — | - |
| Non-paralytic | 2 | 6 | 22 | 11 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 4 | — | 1 | - |
| Total confirmed | 2 | 6 | 23 | 16 | 4 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 4 | — | 1 | - |
| Total notified | 2 | 7 | 29 | 20 | 5 | 11 | 12 | 16 | 17 | 6 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 1 | - |
The proportion of paralytic cases was very low compared with the previous years (Table III). The
experience of Willesden, was unique in the country, and in comparison with previous years.
Table III
| 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | July-Oct 1955 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-paralytic | 14 | 1 | 15 | 1 | - | 5 | 5 | 104 | |
| Paralytic | 28 | 14 | 10 | - | 5 | 9 | 5 | 22 | |
| (11) | (6) | (5) | (1) | (3) | (1) | (5) | |||
| Fatal | 3 | — | 4 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Paralytic and fatal percentage of total | 68.8 | — | 54-5 | 91-6 | - | 100.0 | 64.2 | 50.0 | 17.4 |
(In brackets—number of severe cases).
The proportion of paralytic cases to uncorrected notifications in the country as a whole while lower
than in previous years was not markedly so (Table IV).
Table IV
| 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For 41st week : Total uncorrected notifications | 94 | 109 | 124 | 71 | 366 |
| (57.4) | (84.4) | (63.7) | (70.4) | (41.6) | |
| From beginning of year to 41st week: Proportion of non-paralytic cases | 41.5% | 29.8% | 34.6% | 32.8% | 46.3% |
(Percentage of paralytic cases in brackets)
There was a marked difference between the proportions of paralytic and non-paralytic in Willesden
and the surrounding districts. By 10th October Willesden had 105 non-paralytic cases and only 18 paralytic,
a proportion of one-seventh, while the Neasden Infectious Diseases Hospital had had 161 non-paralytic cases
and 91 paralytic, a proportion of about one-third.
85 per cent of the 161 non-paralytic cases admitted to the Neasden Infectious Diseases Hospital had
their cerebro-spinal fluids examined and 58 per cent. were found abnormal, with a high protein content and
an increase in lymphocytes, suggestive of poliomyelitis.
It is interesting to note that while the paralytic cases were scattered throughout the borough, the
non-paralytic cases were concentrated mainly in two out of the 13 wards.
No action was taken until there had been five cases in the first week of the outbreak. On 21st July
immunisations were stopped and general practitioners and hospitals were informed of this action, and only
urgent tonsillectomies were advised to be done. Sanitary Inspectors visited the homes of notified cases, gave
general advice on prevention and followed up contacts, who were given leaflets outlining the simple rules of
prevention based on those in the Ministry of Health memorandum. Those handling food at work, and
school children who were intimate contacts, were excluded for 21 days. Six adult contacts were excluded from
work and issued with certificates under the National Insurance Act, 1948 (Circular 115/48) so that they
could draw National Insurance; others were found alternative jobs which did not require the direct handling
of food.
To help counteract the scares, rumours, and panic often created by newspaper headlines, 81 lunchhour
talks were given in 77 factories to audiences ranging from 20 to 4,000 with an average attendance of 250
(see pages 9-10). Many managements distributed leaflets to their workers, had some pinned on their notice
boards and gave space in their works' journals on methods of prevention; they distributed special notices on
the need for washing hands and some replaced roller towels with hand or paper towels.