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17
Anthrax
There were no notifications of anthrax during 1953, as was also the case in 1952.
Diphtheria
The outstanding feature of the diphtheria figures was that for the first time on record
there were no deaths in the County of London from this disease. There were only 11
confirmed notifications of the disease during the year compared with 18 in 1952 and
30 in 1951. The progress of diphtheria prevention during the last 20 years is shown
graphically in the diagram (page 16) from which it is seen that the present low figures
are the result of a trend which began in children under the age of 15 years in 1941. No
unprejudiced observer would dispute that this trend resulted directly from the immunisation
campaign. Nothing could be more dangerous, however, than to feel that the
present low figures are any excuse for complacency with regard to immunisation. Even
if the number of cases could be further reduced the risk of importation of infection is
always present and the only safeguard against the spread of this disease is a high level
of immunity in the child population.
Diarrhoc;
and
Enteritis
The number of deaths from diarrhoea and enteritis under 2 years of age rose from
43 in 1952 to 72 in 1953, and the death rate from this cause in London was slightly
above that for England and Wales for the first time since the end of the war. The
heaviest mortality from this cause occurred during the early months of the year in
continuation of the increased mortality beginning in the week of the severe fog of
December, 1952. In spite of the rise in mortality the 1953 figure of 1.4 per 1,000 live
births was still below that of any year before 1950.
DIARRHOEA AND ENTERITIS (UNDER TWO YEARS)
MORTALITY PER 1,000 LIVE BIRTHS
Dysentery
Dysentery, with 2,639 notifications, showed a high incidence, although not so high
as in 1951, when 4,069 notifications were registered. After a rise in incidence during
May and June there was a lull until the early winter when the figures began to rise again
towards very high epidemic figures in the early months of 1954. This pattern of incidence
was very similar to the various stages in the biennial cycle of measles, and in recent years
Sonne dysentery has increasingly shown the epidemiological features of other contact
diseases rather than those of the food-borne infections. As in 1952, slighdy less than half
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