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22
Smallpox
A Dutch businessman arrived in this country by air from the Far
East on Monday, 3rd October, 1960, and proceeded to his flat in
Westminster. In the afternoon of Wednesday, 5th October, 1960, as
he was feeling unwell, and had a slight rash, he attended a local hospital.
Here, in view of his symptoms and his recent journey abroad, it was
considered that he might be suffering from smallpox. Your Medical
Officer of Health was immediately called to see the patient, who was
also examined subsequently by a consultant from the panel of experts
designated by, the Minister of Health. As the possibility of smallpox
could still not be excluded, the duty officer at the Ministry of Health was
informed and arrangements were made for the special isolation hospital
to be opened and for the patient to be admitted for observation. Next
morning, a message was received from the Medical Superintendent of
the hospital that in spite of the scanty nature of the rash, the diagnosis
of smallpox had been confirmed on clinical grounds.
Immediately a diagnosis was made, the Ministry of Health, the
London County Council, the Medical Officers of Health of all the
metropolitan boroughs, local medical practitioners and local hospitals
were notified.
From his arrival on Monday, 3rd October, until his admission to
hospital on Wednesday, 5th October, the patient continued his normal
business and social activities, coming into close contact with a very
large number of persons, all of whom were considered to be at risk.
An exhaustive search for contacts was put in hand at once, and
281 known contacts of the patient were traced by the staff of the Public
Health Department; the majority of these contacts were vaccinated
within the course of a few days at the Public Health Department, or at
a special clinic opened by the London County Council at No. 1, Bessborough
Street, S.W.1. In 12 of these cases, where the person had been
in very close contact with the patient, injections of immune gamma
globulin were given at a local hospital as an additional precaution.
Out of the 281 contacts found, 164 resided at addresses outside
Westminster and appropriate notifications were sent to the Medical
Officers of Health of the areas in which the contacts lived. The remaining
117 persons were kept under daily surveillance for 16 days by the staff
of the Public Health Department, which remained open throughout the
weekends of 8th-9th and 15th-16th October, for this purpose. On
Sunday, 9th October, it was necessary for the City Council's telephonists
to be recalled to duty in order to man the main switchboards and deal
with the large number of telephone enquiries being received in the Health
Department. I am pleased to report that all members of the staff
responded magnificently to the great burden of work which was suddenly
thrown upon them.