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5
Infectious Diseases
The final figures of corrected diagnoses of infectious diseases
in the Borough during 1950 shewed an increase of only 60 on
those of 1949, which were the lowest for several years past.
A particularly pleasing feature was that in 1950 there was not
a single confirmed case of diphtheria in this Borough. There
were more whooping cough cases than for the past two years,
although the figures for this disease in 1949 were exceptionally
low, but fortunately there was only one death. Measles shewed
a decrease for the second year in succession in conformity with
the normal cycle, and there were no deaths from this cause.
Both pneumonia and scarlet fever cases were well below the
average. Scabies has now decreased to only about 5 per cent.
of the number of cases in 1946, even despite the cessation of
examination and treatment of contacts.
Fourteen cases of poliomyelitis occurred, one of which was
fatal ; these figures were the same as for the year 1949.
Other deaths of infectious disease cases included one each
from dysentery, gastro-enteritis and encephalitis, and four from
meningococcal infections.
During 1950, the Public Health (Acute Poliomyelitis Acute
Encephalitis and Meningococcal Infection) Regulations, 1949,
came into operation, by which revised nomenclatures and
extended notifiable conditions were applied to meningococcal
infections, poliomyelitis and acute encephalitis.
ANTHRAX
Two cases of Anthrax were notified during the year and were
traceable to the handling of goat skins imported from various
provinces in India, and from which the blood-stained hair had
not been completely removed.
The facts were reported to the Ministry, and the Council
asked for the regulations governing the importation of these
skins to be reviewed in the light of geographical and political
changes which have, in recent years, affected the Far East,
parts of which are specifically defined in the regulations.
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