London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Wandsworth 1960
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wandsworth, Metropolitan Borough]
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INFECTIVE DISEASES 17
Poliomyelitis
Thirty-one cases of this disease were reported and investigated
during the year, compared to 73 in the previous year.
In 26 cases the diagnosis was not confirmed. Of the remaining five
confirmed cases, one was of the paralytic type and four non-paralytic.
None proved fatal.
The figures of poliomyelitis from 1947 to 1960, the period during
which the incidence of the disease in this country has been high, is
shown in the following table:
| 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of cases reported as suspected poliomyelitis and investigated | 119 | 31 | 89 | 71 | 29 | 73 | 73 | 41 | 104 | 85 | 147 | 65 | 73 | 31 |
| No. of cases confirmed | ||||||||||||||
| (a) paralytic | 78 | 15 | 58 | 40 | 4 | 23 | 19 | 5 | 22 | 24 | 43 | 11 | 13 | 1 |
| (b) non-paralytic .. | 7 | 16 | 8 | 2 | 27 | 15 | 28 | 9 | 4 | 4 | ||||
| Deaths | 4 | 6 | 4 | 7 | — | 5 | 2 | — | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | — |
Meningococcal Infection
Five confirmed cases were notified, one of which proved fatal.
Thirty other cases were investigated but these were subsequently
not confirmed.
In 1959 there were eight confirmed cases with no deaths.
Acute Encephalitis
Six cases were reported and investigated, but were subsequently
not confirmed.
Typhoid and Paratyphoid Fever
Eight cases were reported during the year, of which one was subsequently
confirmed as typhoid and five as paratyphoid. Four of
these confirmed cases had previously been abroad on holiday.
The diagnosis was not confirmed in the two remaining cases.