View report page

104
Scarlet Fever.—Of the 149 notifications received 3 were not
confirmed and the final figure of 146 shows a very satisfactoryreduction
of 66 from that of 1952.
Twenty-six cases were removed to hospital but no fatalities
were recorded.
Area distribution was as follows :—East Greenwich 43 ; West
Greenwich 19 ; St. Nicholas, Deptford 3 ; Charlton and Kidbrooke
81.
Erysipelas.—Eleven cases were notified compared with 16 for
the previous year.
Seven cases received hospital treatment and there were no
fatalities.
Zymotic Enteritis or Epidemic Diarrhoea (Children under
5 years of age).—Originally 18 cases were notified but this figure
was modified and 16 were eventually recorded as confirmed compared
with 8 for the previous year. Of these 10 were under one
year and 6 between 1 and 5 years.
Unfortunately it is necessary to record 2 deaths, one from the 2
cases nursed at home and one of the 14 admitted to hospital.
Dysentery.—The current year saw a resurgence of Sonne
Dysentery similar to the rise observed during 1951.
This disease, although comparatively mild is highly infectious
and troublesome to eradicate and it is the very fact that many of
the cases appear trivial and symptomless that makes its detection
so elusive. The most important means of spread is by food contaminated
by the unwashed hands of persons excreting pathogenic
bacteria. Rigorous attention to this one principle of hygiene would
go a long way towards reducing those ' explosive ' outbreaks which
can be so very difficult to track down.
Some 105 cases of sonne dysentery were originally notified but
after allowances for rediagnoses the final corrected figure was 100.
The cases occurred mostly in private families and there were no
major outbreaks involving hospitals, schools, nurseries, canteens or
food premises.
In order to limit the spread of infection every case was diligently
investigated by the Sanitary Inspector and arrangements were made
by the department for the collection of faecal specimens from all
cases and contacts. Many local practitioners took advantage of