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15
INFECTIVE DISEASES
Acute Poliomyelitis
Eighty-five cases of this disease were reported and investigated
during the year compared to 104 cases the previous year.
In 46 cases the diagnosis was not confirmed. Of the remaining 39
confirmed cases, 24 were of the paralytic type and 15 non-paralytic.
There were two deaths.
No unusual concentration of cases occurred but they were fairly
distributed over the whole Borough.
Approximately half the number of cases occurred in age group
5 to 9 years.
Meningococcal Infection
Four confirmed cases were notified, none of which proved fatal.
There was, however, one death attributed to this disease on postmortem
examination making a total of five cases for 1956.
Twenty-two other cases were investigated but these were subsequently
not confirmed.
In 1955 there were six confirmed cases with no deaths.
Acute Encephalitis
Of 15 cases reported seven were confirmed as Acute Infectious
Encephalitis and two as Post Infectious Encephalitis. Total nine
cases for the year.
Typhoid and Paratyphoid Fever
Of six cases reported during the year, two were subsequently confirmed
as typhoid and two as paratyphoid. One of the former had
previously been on a holiday tour on the Continent.
Diagnosis was not confirmed in the two remaining cases.
Puerperal Pyrexia
During the year 101 cases were notified, of which 94 occurred in
hospital and 7 at home. Thirty-seven of the hospital notifications
referred to patients whose home addresses were outside the borough.
Information was also received of 59 cases, referring to Wandsworth
residents whose confinements took place in hospitals located
in other Metropolitan boroughs.