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14
of the disease was not disclosed as quickly as might have been
hoped. It is perhaps natural that such a holiday resort
would not wish unnecessarily to publish information which would
deter visitors, but the delay did cause a good deal of inconvenience
and much anxiety to certain people who had been to
Zermatt or who had been in close contact with such visitors.
Only one Hampstead resident contracted the disease from
this outbreak, and she was amongst the first cases which
occurred. A large number of contacts or possible contacts
were examined, but fortunately no secondary cases arose.
The only other case of typhoid which was notified in
Hampstead was a lady who had had an attack of typhoid fever 43
years ago and who had presumably been a typhoid carrier for
many years. Medical treatment proved ineffective, and
finally an operation for the removal of the gall bladder was
recommended and performed. The patient continued to excrete
the organisms for a further two months, following which the
tests became and have remained negative.
Two nurses who work for a nurses agency in Hampstead
nursed a patient who after admission to hospital was found to
be suffering from typhoid fever. The nurses were required to
cease their occupation until the end of the incubation period
and until tests had shown them to be free from infection. The
Council used for the first time its powers to compensate the
nurses for their loss of earnings during the period when they
were compelled to cease their work.
Poliomyelitis.
For the first time for more twenty years there were no
cases of poliomyelitis notified in the Borough during the year.
Measles.
Epidemics of measles tend to occur in alternate years, and
in 1963 there were 737 cases notified as compared with 193 in
1962 and 1093 in 1961.
Deaths from measles are comparatively rare and usually are
caused by the complications of the disease such as bronchopneumonia
or in cases where the patient is suffering from some
other disease at the time. In Hampstead since the war there
has been with extraordinary regularity one death from measles
every six years, and unfortunately one such death occurred in
1963.