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As far as the notifiable infectious diseases in school children are concerned,
1956 was, with the exception of poliomyelitis, an uneventful
year. The outbreak of poliomyelitis in Tottenham is referred to elsewhere
but it should be noted here that 15 cases occurred in school children of
whom six were at Lancasterian School and the Nursery Classes at this
school were in fact closed from the 3rd July until the summer vacation.
One of the children concerned was left with a paralysed arm and has been
admitted since to Vale Road School for Physically Handicapped Children.
Two others were not yet fit to return to school at the end of the year and
may require to attend at a special school when discharged.
One case of diphtheria, rather unusually, of the ear, occurred in an
immunised school child, but this case was extremely mild and made an
entirely satisfactory recovery. There were no outbreaks of food poisoning
or of dysentery in the schools of either borough during 1956.
Tuberculosis in Schools
Notifications of tuberculosis (all forms) in school children during 1956
were seven in number compared with 14 in 1955. These cases were discussed
with the appropriate chest physicians and where the child was
infectious, or where no source of infection was found in the home,
epidemiological investigation was carried out at the school. In 1956 this
was necessary in only one case, when a boy at South Grove Secondary
Modern School was discovered to have tuberculous pleurisy. As no contact
could be found in the home, epidemiological investigations were
carried out at the school. One boy was found to have tuberculosis of the
right lung and has been admitted to Highwood Hospital. The School
Meals staff have been x-rayed and all x-rays were found to be negative.
Nine of the teaching staff were x-rayed and found to be negative. Tuberculin
testing undoubtedly proved its value in this case bringing to light
an adolescent with active tuberculosis.
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