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13
Typhoid.
One case of typhoid fever, in a woman of 22, was notified during the
year. The alleged source of infection was a meal of oysters which she
had consumed with a party of three others in a restaurant in Westminster.
Specimens were obtained from other members of the party,
from members of the staff of the restaurant and from contacts at her
home address, and all proved negative. No other cases developed.
Smallpox.
The Medical Officer of Health had occasion during the year to
investigate a case of suspected smallpox at the request of the medical
practitioner attending the patient. The patient was a child of 10 months
of age who had been vaccinated 14 days before the appearance of the
rash. Generalised vaccinia was diagnosed and the child made an
uneventful recovery.
Information was received on two occasions that contacts of smallpox
or suspected smallpox were arriving in Westminster. These contacts,
numbering 33, were kept under surveillance by officers of the department
during the period of incubation and none developed the disease.
Whooping Cough.
There were 317 confirmed cases of whooping cough in Westminster
during the year as compared with 233 last year. Investigations established
that there was a small, localised, epidemic during the September
quarter, when, in all, 205 notifications were received as compared with
14 and 27 in the March and June quarters respectively and 24 in the
corresponding quarter in 1952. There were no deaths during the year.
The number of notifications received in the December quarter was 71.