View report page

15
INFECTIVE DISEASES
Influenza
The number of deaths from Influenza was 64 compared with
26 in 1952, 122 in 1951 and 35 in 1950.
Influenzal Pneumonia and Acute Primary Pneumonia
These are the notifiable forms of pneumonia.
One hundred and twenty-nine cases of acute influenzal pneumonia
and 191 cases of acute primary pneumonia were notified. Forty of
the former, and 41 of the latter died.
The total number of deaths credited to all forms of pneumonia
during the year was 261, compared with 180 in 1952.
Malaria
Five cases were notified. Two were recurrent cases, and three were
soldiers who had recently returned to this country from service in
Korea.
Erysipelas
Fifty-five cases were notified. No deaths occurred.
Other Infective Diseases
Twenty-three deaths occurred from syphilis.
Scabies
Thirty-nine cases were notified.
Ninety-two cases of scabies were treated at the Council's Cleansing
Station under the supervision of the two bathing attendants. The
majority of the cases were treated by two applications of benzyl
benzoate and received a course of two baths each. Forty-nine
other persons received cleansing treatment for various conditions.
Food Poisoning
One hundred and twenty-nine cases were notified during the year.
One hundred and four were individual cases, and ten were outbreaks
involving two or more persons and comprising 25 cases in all.
The majority of the cases were only slightly affected, and where
bacteriological investigation was carried out, organisms likely to
have caused the illness were discovered in only two cases.
An outbreak of diarrhoea among patients at a mental institution
in the Borough was reported in June. Bacteriological investigation
of the patients affected disclosed the presence of Salmonella
typhimurium in six cases. Two of the latter cases died.