View report page

DIPHTHERIA
It will be noticed in the Infectious Diseases table that three
cases of diphtheria were notified during the period under review.
As this disease very seldom occurs, indeed it is six years since the
last case was notified in the Borough, the following details are submitted.
Case 1
A female child of 7 years was removed to hospital on 28th
March, 1961 with classical faucial diphtheria, the date of onset being
26th March. She had last attended school on 24th March and as
the school was dispersing for Easter holidays on 29th March a
nominal roll of her classmates was obtained immediately and the
34 children were visited at home and swabbed twice during the
period 30th March to 5th April. A male child of 6 years had a
positive second swab and was removed to hospital as a carrier.
The original case had attended a children's dancing class in
the Borough on the Saturday morning prior to her removal to hospital
and a list of the names and addresses of children who had attended
that class was obtained. 51 of the children who lived in the
Borough were swabbed together with 9 of the children resident in
an adjoining Borough but who were, during the school holidays,
staying with relatives in Bermondsey during the day. The dancing
class instructress and her family were also swabbed. Negative
results were obtained in all cases. Details of 8 children resident
outside the Borough were given to the Medical Officers of Health
concerned.
Case 2
A male child of 6 years was removed to hospital on 24th May
as a mild case and routine case swabbing was carried out by the
London County Council staff at the school. During the period
25th May to 7th June 14 children from the patient's school were
removed to hospital as carriers.
Case 3
This was a very mild case and occurred in a boy attending
another school but his cousin was one of the above carriers. Swabbing
of home contacts was carried out by the department throughout.
One of the carriers had, prior to his admission to hospital, attended
a meeting of a local Wolf Cub pack. Arrangements were made to
swab the contacts resident in the Borough, numbering six, and
details of eleven resident outside the Borough were passed to the
Medical Officers of Health concerned.
Under the expert care and attention of Hither Green Hospital
the three cases fully recovered; there were no complications.