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26
The Medical Officer of Health for the County of London has reported
that in London in 1963 there were only three notifications of poliomyelitis,
of which one was a paralytic case and two were non-paralytic. After
final diagnosis only the one paralytic case was confirmed, that of a man
aged 34 years who had not been vaccinated. Comparable confirmed
figures for 1962 were sixteen paralytic cases and three non-paralytic cases.
By the end of the year 77 per cent. of the child population of London
aged six months to 14 years had received three injections or doses of
poliomyelitis vaccine.
Following the widespread use of Sabin vaccine a substantial reduction
in the incidence of poliomyelitis in both the vaccinated and the
unvaccinated was to be expected. While this situation is most gratifying,
it would be unwise to assume that it will be permanent. Should the
community be exposed to a virulent strain of the virus, the proportion
(23 per cent.) of unvaccinated children would provide fertile ground for
an epidemic.
Paratyphoid Fever
One notification of paratyphoid fever was received in 1963.
The patient was a young man of 25 years, a resident of Westminster,
who contracted the infection in March whilst on a visit to the Continent.
He was admitted to a London hospital in June, 1963, where the diagnosis
of paratyphoid B. fever was confirmed.
Typhoid Fever
One case of typhoid fever was notified in Westminster in 1963.
The patient was a young male of 21 years on a visit to this country
from the Middle East. He was admitted to a London hospital on
1st August, 1963, suffering from pyrexia of unknown origin; subsequently
a diagnosis of typhoid fever was made. He made an uneventful recovery
and was discharged from hospital on 14th September, 1963.
Typhoid Fever in Switzerland
As a result of an outbreak of typhoid fever in Zermatt, Switzerland,
in 1963, 68 persons in this country contracted the disease. Fortunately,
none of these cases was in Westminster but there were 36 persons resident
in or visiting Westminster who had been in contact with known cases.
These were visited by the Council's Public Health Inspectors and the
necessary checks made which proved to be negative in character. The
Public Health Inspectors also visited food premises in Westminster and
reminded managements of the risks of infection in regard to any staff
who had recently returned from Zermatt. A letter was also sent by the
Medical Officer of Health to all medical practitioners and hospitals in
Westminster, emphasising the need for bacteriological examination of
anyone who had been to Zermatt since the middle of February and, in
particular, anyone employed in catering or other food premises, dairy