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SCARLET FEVER
There were 48 confirmed cases notified, compared with 79 during 1969.
SMALLPOX
No cases of smallpox were notified during the year although the advice of the
Medical Officer of Health was sought by general practitioners in some instances
where the disease was suspected.
Notifications are occasionally received from port and airport authorities of
persons coming into the borough who may have been in contact with smal1 pox. Observation
is kept on such persons by officers of the Health Department for the necessary period.
The number of persons successfully vaccinated or revaccinated against smallpox
at the Council's clinics and by general practitioners during the year was 1.867.
TYPHOID
Three cases of typhoid fever were notified during the year.
One case occurred in a merchant seaman, who became ill in December, 1969, on
board the m.s. "Oronsay" and who was admitted to hospital in Florida, U.S.A. After
treatment he was flown home in January to an address in this borough. Shortly
afterwards because of a recurrence of symptoms, the seaman was admitted to hospital.
Subsequently, information was received from America that Salmonella typhi had been
grown from the man's blood and stools. All contacts were kept under surveillance,
and all general practitioners involved were advised.
The second case was notified in a lady who had been on holiday at Benidorm in
Spain. Some 70 local authorities were advised of contacts who were resident at the
sane hotel over the relevant period. Local contacts were interviewed and bacteriological
specimens were taken in 9 cases with negative results.
The third case occurred in a lady who had recently returned from a holiday
village in Majorca. Family contacts were investigated as also were twelve former
hospital patients who were in the same ward when the disease was confirmed.
WHOOPING COUGH
There were 138 notifications compared with 20 during 1969. Statistics relating
to immunisation are on page 87.
TUBERCULOSIS
The number of primary notifications of pulmonary tuberculosis received during
the year was 101, giving a notification rate of 0.55 per 1,000 population compared
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