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62
It proved that Clara B. was left at 8, F. Street suffering from
an infectious disease, which was unrecognised, for a period of 26
days, viz., from August 22nd to September 17th, and the three
cases which first arose from infection from her (Emma B., Alfred
H., and William K.) were in their turns also left unisolated, the
nature of the disease beng undiagnosed for periods of 13, 32, and
22 days respectively, with the natural result that nine more cases
caught the infection, making a total of 12 secondary cases arising
from one infected person, whose illness had not been diagnosed,
and in connection with whom, consequently, no precautions in
the way* of isolation and disinfection had been taken. Bacteriology
would have undoubtedly cleared up the diagnosis in the early
stages in the case of Clara B., who could have been forthwith
isolated, and the 12 secondary cases thus avoided.
A satisfactory feature of the outbreak is the fact that of the 41
cases, three only have not been traced to their sources, viz.,
Edward W., aged 19 years, living at 14, F. Street, and two children
(Mabel and Lilian S.), aged 14 and 12 years respectively,
living at 148, W. Road, which is at the corner of F. Street. In
the first casei (Edward W.), there was a distinct history of the
patient having eaten large quantities of ice-cream; whilst the
other two, living at the corner of an infected street, down which
they had to go daily to and from school, may have become infected
from children who, though suffering from typhoid, were
not isolated, owing to the nature of their diseases not being
diagnosed in the early stages, or who, though not suffering themselves
from typhoid, came from infected houses.
Having discovered all the cases, they were notified, all removed
to Hospital, and the disinfection of rooms (to include the scraping
of walls and whitewashing of ceilings), Bedding, clothes, etc.,
thoroughly carried out. The mangles, more especially the rollers,
were specially treated with a strong formaldehyde disinfectant
solution. Watch was kept daily for any secondary cases occurring
at recently infected houses, and these were removed to
Hospital at once when found, and further disinfection carried
out. To sum up, the preventive measures taken were as follow:
Discovering of all cases by house-to-house inspection.