London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Kensington and Chelsea 1966
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington & Chelsea Borough]
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In a further forty cases, information concerning origin could not
be obtained.
Since 1952 investigations have shown that, of the new cases and "inward transfers" reported in the borough, the proportions who were immigrants contracting the disease in the first ten years of arrival were as follows:-
| Year | Proportion per cent | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | 16 | ||
| 1953 | 10 | ||
| 1954 | 16 | ||
| 1955 | 17 | ||
| 1956 | 15 | ||
| 1957 | 16 | ||
| 1958 | 23 | ||
| 1959 | 20 | ||
| 1960 | 20 | ||
| 1961 | 11 | ||
| 1962 | 20 | ||
| 1963 | 27 | ||
| 1964 | 23 | ||
| 1965 | 19 | ||
| 1966 | 15 |
This year twenty-eight per cent (1965 - thirty per cent) of the
infected immigrants contracted the disease within one year of arrival
in this country; thirty-eight per cent (1965 - fifty per cent)
contracted within three years of arrival. Persons born in the Republic
of Ireland were regarded as immigrants for this purpose.
Psittacosis.
After admission to hospital, a woman was reported to be suffering
from suspected psittacosis.
As the woman had only been in close contact with her pet
budgerigar, it was very suggestive that this bird was the cause of the
infection. It was therefore killed and sent to the Virus Laboratory at
Colindale for investigation - psittacosis virus was isolated. The
Ministry of Health was informed.
The budgerigar had only recently been purchased prior to the
patient's admission to hospital, therefore efforts were made to trace
the origin of the bird, without success. The store from which the
bird was purchased were informed and their aviary was closed whilst
tests were made on the remaining birds in the aviary. These tests
were negative but a course of treatment was given to the birds in the
aviary as a precautionary measure, after which the aviary was reopened.
Leprosy.
The Public Health (Leprosy) Regulations, 1966, came into force
on 1st March, 1966. These Regulations provide for the notification
by medical practitioners to medical officers of health of all cases of
leprosy and for the transmission of this information by medical
officers of health to the Chief Medical Officer of the Ministry of
Health. The Public Health (Leprosy) Regulations, 1951. under which