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cigarette smoking and lung cancer and other serious diseases.
DIPHTHERIA
No cases of diphtheria came to the notice of the department during 1966.
Particulars relating to children immunised against diphtheria will be found on
page 100.
DYSENTERY
Notified cases of dysentery totalled 181, compared with 61 during the previous year.
There were two incidents of dysentery in day nurseries and one in a nursery school.
Faecal specimens from 23 persons were examined in one of the nursery outbreaks and six
children were found to be positive. In the other nursery incident, six suspects were
tested and Sonné dysentery organisms isolated in four cases. In the incident at the
nursery school, 55 children and adults were tested and Sonné dysentery was isolated
in 12 children, 3 members of the staff (including a kitchen employee) and 5 other family
contacts.
Particular attention is paid to personal hygiene during an outbreak, paper handtowels
and hand-dipping solution are issued and surfaces which are touched by children
when using the water-closet are frequently cleansed with disinfectant. The staffs of
schools and nurseries keep constant vigilance for incidents of diarrhoea and vomiting
and advise the Health Department of suspected cases among absentees so that they may be
followed up by the public health inspectors.
ENTERIC FEVER
One case of paratyphoid fever was notified by a hospital within the borough. The
patient was not a resident of Tower Hamlets.
FOOD POISONING
There were 48 notifications of food poisoning during the year and a further 11 cases
came to the notice of the department. Organisms of Salmonella typhi-murium were isolated
in 22 cases, of which 10 were in one family and two in another. The remaining 10 were
found in sporadic instances. In one case, salmonella Brandenberg was isolated. In 1965,
42 notifications were received.
One outbreak was reported to the Ministry of Health as required by Memorandum 188
Med. issued by the Ministry.
16.