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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
Battersea 1962
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Battersea Borough]
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18
Infectious and Other Diseases.
During the year 424 notifications of cases of infectious disease were
received, which when compared with 2,187 received in 1961 shows a
decrease of 1,763. This decrease was mainly due to the number of
measles cases reported—165 as compared with 1,906 in 1961.
One case of salmonella para-typhoid B occurred during the year
in a three-year-old boy. The source of infection was not discovered and
all contacts were negative.
There was an outbreak of sonnei dysentery in a day nursery situated
within the Borough, affecting 16 of the children. The illness was mild
in nature, although it was a month before the final child was re-admitted
to the nursery. The total number of dysentery cases notified during the
year was 94, an increase of 62 over 1961, when 32 cases were notified.
This increase cannot be offset by the outbreak in the nursery, for a
similar outbreak occurred in 1961 but in a different nursery.
Although no case of smallpox occurred in the Borough, there were
37 contacts, who were examined daily by the Deputy Medical Officer
of Health. All were offered the protection of vaccination. Owing to the
number of imported cases, the total number of International Certificates
of vaccination against smallpox presented to the Department
authentication was six times greater than in 1961—2,789 as compared
with 459.
There were no cases of poliomyelitis during the year.
Analysis of Cases (after Correction of Diagnosis) of Infectious Disease Notified during the Year 1962.
| Notifiable Disease | Cases Notified in Battersea, in Age Groups | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 0— | 1— | 2— | 3— | 4— | 5— | 10- | 15— | 25— | 45— | 65 & over | |
| Anthrax | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Diphtheria | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Dysentery | 94 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 15 | 8 | 15 | 19 | 8 | 3 |
| Encephalitis (acute): — Infective | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Post-infectious | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Enteric (typhoid or paratyphoid) fever | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Erysipelas | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 4 | — |
| Food poisoning | 20 | — | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| Malaria | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Measles | 165 | 6 | 25 | 26 | 18 | 21 | 59 | 3 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| Membranous croup | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Meningococcal infection | 3 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| Ophthalmia neonatorum | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pneumonia, acute primary | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 4 | 9 | 9 | |
| Pneumonia,acute influenzal | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 2 |
| Poliomyelitis (acute):— Paralytic | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Non-paralytic | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Puerperal pyrexia | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — |
| Scabies | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Scarlet fever | 17 | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | 9 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — |
| Smallpox | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tuberculosis:— Pulmonary | 69 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | — | 11 | 19 | 16 | 10 |
| Non-pulmonary | 6 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Whooping cough | 9 | 2 | 1 | 3 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| Totals | 424 | 16 | 39 | 42 | 32 | 27 | 91 | 14 | 40 | 53 | 43 | 27 |