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Dysentery.
Dysentery is an endemic disease in this country. Of the
16 cases notified, 15 occurred amongst the staff of a nursing
home in the Borough. None of these cases was severe, however,
and the outbreak was rapidly brought under control. There
is reason to believe that many adult cases do not seek medical
attention because signs and symptoms of the disease are not
evident. The following table shows the number of notifications
of this disease for the past four years:—
Year. No. of Cases.
1945 30
1946 22
1947 10
1948 16
Acute Anterior Poliomyelitis and Polio-Encephalitis.
Camberwell suffered from its worst outbreak of anterior
poliomyelitis and polio-encephalitis during 1947 when 34
definite cases occurred throughout the Borough. In 1948
16 notifications of poliomyelitis were received and only eight
of these were subsequently confirmed. There was one death.
The disease is due to a virus, but fortunately everyone
infected with the virus does not develop paralysis. Most cases
are removed to hospital; cases which remain at home are
isolated and the attendants are recommended to wear masks
and gowns on entering the sick room, to wash their hands on
leaving, to see that the patient's eating utensils are kept for
his sole use and to arrange for the faeces to be disinfected as the
virus is excreted in the stools.
Cerebro-Spinal Fever.
Nine cases were notified as compared with 12 in 1947.
The diagnosis was not confirmed in four instances. In every
case the patient was removed to hospital.