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salmonella organisms. Such outbreaks arise sometimes where a symptomless
carrier has been admitted for treatment or where such a carrier is employed
in hospital. Although the causative agent is one normally associated with
food poisoning, such outbreaks are not generally food-bome.
The point has been dealt with in a Ministry of Health Memorandum
on Food Poisoning and provision has been made for an annual return of such
cases as distinct from food-borne infections.
During 1958, only a single incident occurred in a Kensington
hospital when two little boys, aged 6 weeks and 4 months respectively, suddenly
developed symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting and were found to be excreting
salmonella typhi-murium. Both sufferers were removed to an isolation hospital
for treatment and investigations were instituted to trace the source of
infection. Faecal specimens from all medical, nursing and domestic staff
concerned with the ward in question were examined without finding a symptomless
carrier. Admissions were stopped while this was going on. No source of
infection was found and no further cases have occurred since.
INFECTIOUS DISEASE
Smallpox
No case of smallpox was notified in the borough during the year
1958.
In the Ministry of Health's Memorandum on Vaccination against
Smallpox, it is recommended that public health officers, likely to have to
deal with cases of smallpox at short notice, should be regularly re-vaccinated
at not more than yearly intervals. During the year twenty-three members of
the staff of the public health department were vaccinated or re-vaccinated
by the Medical Officer of Health.
Scarlet fever
The number of cases notified in 1958 was twenty-seven and, of
this total, eight were treated in hospital. There was no fatal case during
the year; in fact, there has been no death from scarlet fever in Kensington
since 1940.
Diphtheria
No case of diphtheria was notified during the year. However, a
young lady of 26 years died during the year after an illness lasting only
two or three days. The general practitioner concerned was unwilling to notify
the case as one of diphtheria, and, although bacteriological investigations
on post-mortem specimens were negative for diphtheria, the death was returned
to the Registrar General as one of diphtheria. All contacts were swabbed and
found to be negative and no secondary cases occurred.
Diphtheria immunisation work, commenced by the Council in 1934» was
continued by the London County Council during the year. A summary of the
work carried out in Kensington is as follows
Number of pre-school children immunised 1,607
" " school " " 342
" " re-inforcing injections given 1,704
" " children attending for pre-Schick
tests 395
H which gave a positive reaction 313
" " " " negative reaction 384
" of children attending for poat-Schick
tests 559
" proving negative 545
" proving positive 9
" who failed to attend for reading 16