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SECTION F. —
PREVALENCE OF, AND CONTROL
OVER, INFECTIOUS AND OTHER DISEASES.
During the year there were 541 cases of infectious disease notified,
as compared with 572 during 1946.
Of the total number of notifications received, 410 were in respect
of measles or whooping-cough, diseases which have been notifiable
since 1939 when the Measles and Whooping-cough Regulations
came into force.
POLIOMYELITIS.
During 1947 there was an outbreak of poliomyelitis throughout
England and Wales, in which the total cases far exceeded those recorded
in any previous year. In 1938, the year of highest recorded
incidence prior to 1947, before the present machinery for correction
of notifications was instituted, there were in England and Wales
1,581 notifications of civilians, giving an attack rate of 4 per 100,000
population. In 1947 the corrected notifications of poliomyelitis and
polioencephalitis together amounted to 7,671 (civilians), giving an
attack rate of 18 per 100,000 population in England and Wales. In
Wimbledon the attack rate during 1947 was 44 per 100,000 population.
The total number of deaths from this disease registered in England
and Wales in 1947 was 715, including 19 non-civilians. This
gives a civilian death-rate of 17 per million living compared with
6 per million in 1938. The case fatality rate was however, lower than
in 1938, being 9% in 1947 and 16% in 1938.
None of the cases of poliomyelitis or polioencephalitis occurring
in Wimbledon during 1947 terminated fatally.
The Borough of Wimbledon was involved early in this epidemic,
and whereas the peak period of notifications for England and Wales
as a whole occurred at the end of August and beginning of September,
the highest number of cases recorded in Wimbledon in any one week
occurred during the week ended 19th July. 1947, when six cases were
reported.
In all, there were 25 confirmed cases of poliomyelitis or polioencephalitis
in Wimbledon. Of the 25 cases, 19 were treated in the Wimbledon
Infectious Diseases Hospital, one case was removed to Guy's
Hospital, and the remaining 5 were nursed at home.
The following is an analysis of the age groups and Ward distribution
of the 25 cases
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