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108
Puerperal Pyrexia.—The first complete year operating under
the new Puerperal Pyrexia Regulations, 1951, which became
effective on 1st August, 1951, produced, as anticipated in my
previous Report, a sharp rise in the number of cases notified. The
total of 35 compares with figures for the years 1949, 1950 and 1951
of 4, 9 and 10 respectively.
All patients received hospital treatment. There were no
fatalities.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum.—No notifications in respect of
this disease were received during the year. Figures for the years
1950 and 1951 were 2 and 1 respectively.
Meningococcal Infection.—Diagnosis of one of the 4 notifications
received was not upheld, giving a final total of 3. There
were no cases in the previous year but 1 was recorded in 1950.
All three cases were removed to hospital. One case, a child of
nine months, died on the day of admittance.
Acute Encephalitis. (Infective or Post-Infectious).—Three
cases attributed to this cause were received during the year under
review, 2 being under the sub-heading 'Infective' and one under
'Post-Infectious.' Of the former, one case died, cause of death
being ascertained at a Post Mortem examination. Each of the
remaining cases made a complete recovery.
Poliomyelitis.—Out of a total of 10 notifications, 7 were
eventually registered as confirmed cases, of which 6 were of the
paralytic type and one non-paralytic. Figures for the years 1950
and 1951 were 23 and Nil respectively.
In no instance was any determinable relationship established
between the cases which occurred during the months of March to
August.
With regard to the possible connection of paralytic cases with
recent inoculation for Diphtheria or Whooping Cough immunisation
it is interesting to note that in 2 such cases the site of recent
inoculation and the area of paralysis were the same.
Each notified case received hospital treatment and there were
no fatalities.