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PREVALENCE AND CONTROL OVER INFECTIOUS AMD OTHER DISEASES
Smallpox;
There were three persons from smallpox areas abroad requiring
observation during the year.
Food Poisoning:
Twenty-six isolated cases were notified. Routine investigations
were carried out and in nine cases salmonella typhi-murium was isolated
from faecal specimens submitted by the patients for bacteriological
examination. There is no doubt that a considerable amount of food
poisoning exists which is not notified as those suffering from it do not
consult their doctor unless they are seriously ill. It is then usually
too late to obtain and investigate suspected articles of food.
Scabies and allied conditions:
Treatment was arranged for 69 adults and 8 children at the
Kensington Medicinal Baths.
Typhoid Fevers
There was a minor outbreak of typhoid fever in the Borough in June
involving nine persons, all of whom completely recovered.
Full investigations were carried out, with the co-operation of the
Ministry of Health, in field work. The sufferers all sickened at about
the same time, and it is gratifying to report that there were no secondary
cases amongst relatives in contact with the patients.
Phage typing was carried out in the Public Health Laboratory at
Colindale, which revealed that two distinct varieties of the organism
were responsible. For this reason a carrier was less likely to have
been the cause of the outbreak, and therefore the possibility of contamination
from drainage cannot be excluded. It will be remembered that
on the 12th May, there was flooding with some overflow from drains in
Fulham, following a freak storm in the district.
During the investigations 30 food samples and 100 food handlers and
contacts were examined. With the co-operation of the Borough Surveyor,
Moore's swabs were placed in manholes at points nearest to the houses of
patients. Extensive investigation by means of these swabs was without
result. Indeed, all methods of investigation failed to disclose the
original source or sources of the infection and the investigation was
concluded.