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In 1953 there were, however, 61 cases, many of them in January
and probably associated with the Smog in December 1952,,
In 1955 there were 33 cases with no deaths.
Scarlet Fever
Scarlet Fever has remained a very mild disease since the war and
although as many as 80 cases have been notified in one year (1952) no
special measures for its control have been found necessary The
majority have been in children and more than half the cases have been
treated in hospital. In the last five years only four developed complications
of any kind and these were not serious.
Particular attention was given to preventive measures where any
of the known contacts were engaged in the handling of food or, being
pregnant, were approaching time.
In 1955 35 cases were notified of whom 23 were treated in hospital
and they did not develop any complication.
Whooping Cough
This has been during the period under review the most serious
infectious disease, particularly on account of the fact that it in so
many cases attacks babies under 1, who form sometimes as many as one
quarter of the total numbers. Only occasionally have adults been involved,
the remainder being children and largely those under 5. In
1950 and 1952 respectively there was an infant death
The number of cases has varied considerably from year to year the
highest being 356 in 1953 when there was a considerable epidemic.
During that outbreak a careful analysis was made of the cases in relation
to previous vaccination and the results were published in the
monthly bulletin of the Ministry of Health for September 1955.
It was concluded that there was some evidence that previous
vaccination had reduced the incidence of severe and moderate attacks
of the disease.
Laboratory facilities for assisting in the diagnosis of doubtful
and early cases were made available in 1950, and this has led to more
cases coming to the knowledge of the department and a definite diagnosis
being established in many very mild cases that otherwise would
not have been accepted as such.