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10
Disinfection and. Disinfestation
A summary of the routine work of the disinfecting staff is
shown in the following table:-
Houses disinfected after infectious disease 290 ( 456 rooms)
Houses disinfested after vermin 392 ( 895 rooms)
Loads of furniture treated with hydrogen
cyanide 25
Total weight of furniture, bedding, etc. dealt with:-
46 tons 18 cwt. 2 qtr. 12 lb.
It is the practice of certain foreign countries to prohibit
the import of parcels of clothing, unless accompanied with a certificate
that the articles have been disinfected. The Council afford facilities
to persons desirous of sending clothing abroad, but make a charge of
2/6d. for each certificate provided. During the 706 parcels of clothing
were disinfected and the income amounted to £88. 5s. Od. The following
table indicates the destination of these parcels :-
No. of parcels
Czechoslovakia 145
Russia 151
Hungary 1
Poland 3
Peru 2
Bulgaria 2
Ecuador 1
+ Unknown 401
+ All these parcels were dealt with by one Kensington firm
of exporters.
Some countries allow the import of clothing if accompanied
by a certificate stating that no case of infectious disease has occurred
at the sender's address within twenty-one days prior to mailing.
During the year, one such certificate was issued.
H.C.N. Disinfestation
For many years, the Council adopted the policy of disinfesting
with H.C.N, the furniture and household effects of all tenants moving to
new Council property, as a method of preventing bed bugs being taken
from old houses into the new dwellings.
There has been considerable reduction in the number of bug
infested houses in the borough, no doubt due to the introduction of new
and effective insecticides such as D.D.T, and, from the beginning of
1954, the Council decided to discontinue the policy of treating the
furniture of all incoming tenants, irrespective of whether there was
evidence of infestation or not, and substitute the following scheme:-
(a) A public health inspector examines the furniture
and home of each prospective tenant;
(b) If bug infestation is present, the furniture
is dealt with by H.C.N, at the disinfecting station.
(c) If no infestation is apparent, no action is
taken in regard to the furniture, but the walls and
ducts of new flats are treated with D.D.T. or
Gammexane smoke preparations.
(d) The inspector re-visits the flat after a
period of six months, and takes appropriate action
if the flat is found to have become infested.