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Notification of Infectious Diseases
1,855 cases of infectious diseases were notified during the year including 141 removed
to hospital.
These figures show a decrease on the previous year of 526 cases due largely to the fact
that there were fewer cases of Measles. There was a slight decrease in the number of Scarlet
Fever and Puerperal Pyrexia cases, whilst there was a marked increase in the incidence of Dysentery
and Whooping Cough; see Table 2, Page 106.
Incidence of Infectious Diseases
Dysentery
The large number of dysentery notifications was directly attributable to six separate
outbreaks during the year, involving three schools and three day nurseries. The first incident
occurred during February when several children at a school developed diarrhoea, confirmed by
laboratory tests to be sonne dysentery and this rapidly spread to affect 26 children. Concurrently
with this outbreak, 27 cases were reported among young children attending a day nursery.
Another day nursery was involved during May when 16 children were affected, followed
in June by a small outbreak at a school where 6 cases occurred.
Towards the end of June a few cases were reported at another school where a major outbreak
quickly erupted involving 46 children and 1 member of the staff. In view of the circumstances
in this instance the entire school, including members of the teaching and kitchen staff, was
checked.
At the same time as this outbreak 8 cases occurred in children attending a day nursery
in close proximity to the school.
Routine checking of all family contacts of each confirmed case was carried out, in
accordance with normal practice, and many more cases were discovered as a result of these
investigations. With the co-operation of the general practitioners concerned, all possible steps
were taken to prevent the spread of infection and all outbreaks were quickly controlled.
Poliomyelitis
In October, a woman aged 33 years living in the Borough was admitted to Hammersmith
Hospital and transferred the following day to St. Ann's Hospital, Tottenham, where she was
diagnosed as a case of paralytic poliomyelitis. An immediate investigation of her home circumstances
was made and all contacts, including the ward staff at Hammersmith Hospital, were traced
and offered oral vaccination. I am pleased to report that no other persons were affected and the
patient made a good recovery.
Paratyphoid Fever
In mid-October a message was received from the Health Department, London Borough of
Camden, that a man aged 31 years had been admitted to the Hospital for Tropical Diseases and
was being treated as a case of paratyphoid fever pending the results of laboratory tests. Immediately
prior to admission his address was within this Borough, although he had spent a few days
at an address in the London Borough of Camden prior to moving here. Investigations made at his
home revealed that the man had spent a period of time in Tangiers, and had returned to this country
during the first week in October. Stool and urine specimens were obtained from all known contacts
and I am pleased to report that the results of the laboratory tests proved negative in each case.
The patient was subsequently confirmed as a positive case of paratyphoid fever, which was presumed
to have been contracted abroad.
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