View report page

64
SECTION F
Prevalence of, and control over, infectious and other
Diseases
The total number of infectious diseases notified under Section
192 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1936, and associated Orders
and Regulations was 1,247. Under the Public Health (Tuberculosis)
Regulations, 1930, there were 127 notifications, giving a consolidated
total of 1,375 infectious diseases notified during the year. In 40
of these cases the diagnoses were not confirmed, thus giving a corrected
figure of 1,335. There have been no outbreaks giving cause for
alarm and, as indicated in the following table, this total is slightly
less than the average for the last five years:—
Year No. of corrected notifications
1945 1,216
1946 1,691
1947 1,013
1948 1,671
1949 1,335
Average 1,385
Particulars of age groups and districts affected are shown in
the tables at the end of the Report.
Smallpox.—There were no cases notified during the year but
a number of contacts were reported arriving in the Borough from
abroad and these were kept under observation for the requisite
period.
Public Health (Smallpox Prevention) Regulations, 1917.—It was
not necessary for your Medical Officer of Health to take any action
during the year.
Measles.—There were 791 notifications received of which two
were not confirmed. The corrected total of 789 compares with
928 for the previous year and 278 for 1947. The distribution of the
cases was as follows :—East Greenwich 332, West Greenwich 199 ;
St. Nicholas, Deptford, 24 ; Charlton and Kidbrooke 234.
Twenty-seven cases occurred in children under one year of age,
460 between 1 and 5 years, and 281 between the ages of 5 and 15.
The outbreak began in February, reached its peak in early June,
finally subsiding towards the end of July. Forty-one cases were
removed to hospital, two of which were subsequently re-diagnosed
as forms of Dermatitis. There were no fatalities.