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34
EPIDEMICS
No one outbreak of any disease reached epidemic proportions but prompt
action in the early stages of any known or suspected case is an essential factor in
the prevention of spread of disease. For this reason close liaison and co-operation
is maintained between Boroughs, and Schools, Nurseries and Hospitals play a large
part in supplying early information of epidemic threatening situations.
In this field it is unusual to encounter less than full co-operation from
organisations, businesses and members of the public once the need has been
explained.
INTERNATIONAL
Individuals arriving in this country from areas abroad where certain diseases
are prevalent and who are unable to produce satisfactory evidence of vaccination
are notified that they will be placed under surveillance during the period of
incubation of the disease. Information from ports of entry was received in respect
of 22 persons coming from smallpox infected areas and 5 from cholera areas. All
were visited and kept under surveillance. No cases developed.
An increasing number of people spending holidays abroad risk infections
other than those covered by the international regulations, principally typhoid
fever and other salmonella infections. At the request of employers a number of
specimens from such persons engaged in food handling were taken for examination.
These were in all cases satisfactory but at least 5 of the cases reported under
"Food Poisoning" were probably contracted abroad.
SCOPE OF SERVICE
225 visits were made by Public Health Inspectors in connection with
communicable diseases during 1970. An unrecorded number of visits was also
made by non-technical staff for the collection of pathological specimens and
their delivery to the laboratory for examination.
SCARLET FEVER
Twenty-nine cases were notified compared with forty-seven in 1969.
WHOOPING COUGH
There was an increase in the number of cases notified, eighty-one compared
with forty in 1969.