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visited. Wormwood Scrubs Prison, two restaurants and the Charing
Cross Hospital. Numerous direct and indirect contacts were
traced and were advised to be vaccinated. Vaccination of contacts
in Kensington was undertaken by the public health department, where
necessary.
Close contacts were kept under daily surveillance
throughout the incubation period and a stewardess who had travelled
in the same aeroplane was placed under "house and garden" quarantine.
No secondary cases were reported.
Scarlet Fever
The number of cases notified in 1960 was 29, but only one
was 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.
A summary of the diphtheria immunisation work, carried out
by the London County Council during the year in Kensington, is as
follows:-
Number of pre-school children immunised 2,340
" " school " " 316
" " boosters (all ages) 1,528
Enteric Fever
During the year there were 4 cases of typhoid fever and
4 of paratyphoid fever.
The first case of typhoid fever was a 29-year old man who
was ill immediately after returning from a holiday in Spain, but
did not see a doctor for more than a month afterwards, when he was
immediately admitted to hospital. The contacts of the case were
traced and asked to submit specimens for bacteriological examination. All proved negative. The patient recovered.
The second case was a 61-year old woman whose basement
flat had been badly flooded a few days before her illness. She had
left her home the day after the flooding for a holiday in Bury St.
Edmunds, Suffolk. When she returned she was admitted to hospital.
The possibilities of her having been infected by the flood sewage or
at Bury St. Edmunds were thoroughly investigated. Bacteriology of
scrapings from the floor and floor coverings from the woman's home
revealed nothing. The Medical Officer of Health at Bury St. Edmunds
organised enquiries and tests at the house temporarily occupied by
the patient while she was on holiday. Specimens submitted by all
the contacts proved negative and the source of infection in this
case remained unsolved.
The third case was a 26-year old man who was admitted to
hospital as a typhoid "carrier" four months after returning from a
business trip in Nigeria and Central Africa. He had felt unwell
consistently since his return to this country. The man's wife the only home contact submitted negative specimens.
The fourth typhoid case was a 25-year old woman, who
developed the illness a few days after returning from a holiday in
Spain and was admitted to hospital. Specimens taken from the home
contacts proved negative. The patient recovered in hospital and
specimens were taken from her after discharge to ensure that she had
not become a carrier of the disease.