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doubtedly led to the initial delays in recognition of the
disease, and in retrospect there can be little doubt that
one or two cases had occurred in the previous ten days.
Although at least one of these patients had been swabbed,
no pathogen of the particular variety had been found, and
this organism was apparently atypical. The Bacteriologists
reported that it had many of the characteristics of a harmless
diphtheroid, and thus its sinister significance was easily
missed.
In these early cases the oral penicillin which was
prescribed had in most cases enabled the patients to overcome
the disease satisfactorily, while others who were later
swabbed as contacts and found to be positive were referred
to as 'carriers' .
It was important to note that several carriers with
clear swabs subsequent to treatment in hospital, when returned
to their homes rapidly developed a positive throat
swab again, and in one of these children such re-infection
occurred three times.
The speedy limitation of this outbreak could only be
attributed to the system of swabbing for identification,
the rapid and complete removal and isolation of cases and
carriers, together with the increased immunisation measures
which raised the already high level existing in the area.
In July 1961 a further case of diphtheria was reported
in the person of the sister of a child who had been treated
in hospital as a 'carrier' during the previous outbreak.
Swabbing of other members of the family produced negative
results, but investigation of contacts at school revealed
several carriers'. Two boys aged 3 and 5 years, who had
been admitted to hospital the previous December and produced
negative swabs after being discharged, were again found
to be 'carriers'. In the same family, the mother, father,
grandmother and two other siblings were found to be positive.
This outbreak was rapidly brought under control the
last case occurring less than three weeks after the first,
fifteen patients were involved, including four adults. All
were admitted to hospital with the exception of the grandmother,
who was treated at home by the family doctor,
An outbreak of diphtheria at a school in an adjoining
borough led to the discovery of three carriers' living
in Canberwell, one of whom was a teacher at the school and