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Ophthalmia neonatorum—There was a decrease in the number of notifications from 161
in 1959 to 89 in 1960—the rate (per 1,000 registered live births) changing from 2.53 to 1.36.
Cases among children born to London residents totalled 73, a fall of 26 compared with
the previous year: in 68 vision was unimpaired, four removed and one was still under
treatment at the end of the year.
Poliomyelitis—There was a considerable reduction in the number of notifications of
poliomyelitis in 1960. Polio virus types I and III were isolated in roughly equal numbers.
Once again a marked feature of the epidemiological picture was the high proportion
of cases found in the age group 0.4 years. This was 59.8 per cent, of all cases and is the
highest proportion ever recorded in this age group.

It will be seen from table (xvi) that a high proportion of cases in the 0.4 years age group
has been recorded previously only in 1949 and 1959. Cases were spread throughout the
age group. The higher rate of incidence in the under.fives does not appear to be related
to any difference between vaccination rates in this age group and the over.fives. The reason
for the high proportion of cases in young children remains uncertain.
As a result of scrutiny of the clinical and virological findings, a final diagnosis was made
in respect of each notification. The diagnosis of paralytic poliomyelitis was made on clinical
grounds, although virological confirmation was present in the majority of cases. A diagnosis
of non.paralytic poliomyelitis was made only in cases in which poliomyelitis virus was
present on the stool, or when serological evidence supported the diagnosis. Table (xvii) gives
an analysis of the original notifications according to the final diagnosis.