View report page

17
Infectious and Other Diseases.
During the year 2,187 notifications were received, which, when compared
with 558 cases in 1960, shows an increase of 1,629. This increase
was due entirely to the number of measles notifications received, 1,906
as compared with 186 in 1960. This large increase in measles incidence
was anticipated, for, as is wellknown, this disease tends to occur in
Increased prevalence every two years in London, and 1961 was a
"measles year Taking this into consideration, the total number of
notifications received was lower than last year, which was the lowest
ever recorded in Battersea.
There was an outbreak of sonnei dysentery in one of the Day
Nurseries situated within the Borough affecting 20 of the children. All
were excluded, and it was also necessary to exclude one of the staff
from the Nursery when it was found that bacteriologically she was
Positive for this disease. The illness was mild in nature, and with the
exception of three cases the children were allowed to return in approximately
ten days.
An outbreak of diphtheria, fortunately well confined and mild in
degree, occurred in the Borough early in April. There were, all told,
3 cases and 37 carriers. The cause of the outbreak was the mitis strain
the corynebacterium diphtheria.
The first case was confirmed on the 5th April by the Western Fever
Hospital. The child attended a Junior Mixed and Infant School, and as
the diagnosis was made during the school holiday a number of problems
were presented in controlling the spread of the disease, especially tracking
down other cases and carriers. Obviously, if all the children had
been attending school, nose and throat swabs would have been relatively
easy to obtain. Nevertheless, the staffs of this Department and of the
London County Council Divisional Health Department were faced with
the considerable task of home visits and letters to parents of over 600
children. Mass swabbings were arranged at the affected school on
several occasions, and this eased the pressure of the work to a certain
extent. At the same time the opportunity was taken to offer primary
and reinforcing immunisation to all who needed it. I am grateful to
the three Heads of the school for their ready co-operation, and also
the Divisional Education Officer and his staff for all their assistance.
The second case was diagnosed on the 7th April by the family
doctor and removed to hospital the same day. In this instance the girl
was attending the Junior Department of the affected school, and
altogether seven carriers were discovered in the same class. The sister
of one of these ultimately became the third case of diphtheria on the
25th May.
The last carrier was admitted to hospital on the 25th May, but, in
common with other outbreaks of diphtheria, 10 carriers discharged as
free from infection by the hospitals subsequently showed evidence of
renewed infection one week after discharge, and had to be readmitted
to hospital One carrier had the misfortune to be admitted for a third
time before becoming free from infection.