View report page

95
infection can be transmitted from person to person, particularly
where young children are concerned, and also because many of
those infected do not develop symptoms, and are consequently unaware
that they are liable to spread the disease.
The problem is by no means a local one, for the prevalence of
the illness in England and Wales as a whole has increased markedly
during the past ten years, reaching a new maximum during 1956.
It is believed that the infection is spread mainly by personal
contact, and this perhaps explains why the younger child is at
greater risk. The only effective way of controlling the disease is
by raising standards of personal hygiene, and particular importance
is attached to the proper cleansing of the hands after use of the
toilet. This is by no means easy to achieve in the case of the young
child, but my advice to parents would be to try to see that their
children acquire these habits as early in life as possible.
In addition to the above, notifications were received of one case
of Pneumonia and one of Food Poisoning.
Four cases of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in school children were
notified during 1956. Three of these occurred in children in the
same family. The parent or parents in the two families concerned
were previously known tuberculous patients.
Mention must also be made of one disease that did not occur
during the year. In fact, no case of diphtheria has been notified
in the borough since 1950. and there is no reason why this happy
state of affairs should not continue, if parents will continue to ensure
that their children receive the necessary protection. In the case of
school children who have been immunised in infancy, a re-inforcing
or " booster " dose of the vaccine is recommended at the ages of
5 and 10 years. If for any reason the child has not already been
immunised, it is still not too late to have this done, and parents who
are in doubt about this are strongly advised to ask the advice of
their family or school doctor.