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In addition a diagnosis of meningoencephalitis was made in one
man aged 23 which may or may not have been an infection with a similar
virus.
Only a few nonparalytic cases have been notified (1 child in
1951, 1953 and 1954 respectively and a man and a woman both of 23 in
1955). It is probable, however, that a number of other cases occurred
without a diagnosis being made.
There have been no deaths throughout the whole period.
The 6 cases in 1955 included 1 very severe case which was treated
in a respirator for a prolonged time and had paralysis of both arms,
3 with paralysis left leg, 1 with paralysis right leg and one with
paralysis of the muscles of the right eye. Though all recovered progress
in some of the cases has been very slow and residual paralyses
are probable.
All the cases were fully investigated and no direct contact was
ever established between any of the cases or with any other case in
another area, nor did it appear that the giving of any injection or
the carrying out of any surgical operation had played any part in precipitating
the disease. All known close contacts were excluded from
the handling of food, having dealings with children, school or nursery
for 3 weeks, and were placed under surveillance. Contacts at work of
a few cases employed in the Borough but resident elsewhere were warned
to attend their doctor in the event of any indisposition, however mild,
and to inform him of the contact: absentees from unknown causes were
investigated.
Considerable anxiety by employers and other workers was often
felt as to adult home contacts being allowed to remain at work. Every
effort was made to give advice and relieve this anxiety but exclusion
in all such cases would not have been practicable
All in all Finsbury has not suffered as severely as many areas.
Pneumonia Acute Primary
There have been notified about 40 cases each year recently but a
number of these have probably been more in the nature of bronchopneumonia
than the specific illness which should be understood from
this description and have occurred in children and in old persons.
Although each case is carefully followed to ensure as far as possible
that adequate treatment is given clinical and pathological details
have not been available, and in consequence no analysis of the cases
would yield any information likely to be of use Most of the cases
were treated in hospital and there were a few deaths each year amongst
the aged.