View report page

INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Notifications of infectious diseases for the years 1953-1962 are shown in table V.5,
page 23, those for certain such diseases by age and sex for the 13 four-weekly periods of the
year 1962 are given in table V.6, page 24 and deaths from infectious diseases are included
in table V.3, page 21.
Diarrhoea and enteritis— There were 25 deaths under the age of two years from diarrhoea
and enteritis, compared with 20 in the previous year. This represents a rate of 0.40 per
1,000 live births and shows a continuation of the low figures of recent years.
Diphtheria— For the first time since notification was introduced no cases of diphtheria
were reported in London during the year. Credit for this state of affairs must go partly to
the diphtheria immunisation campaign and partly to the effective control measures that
have been used in recent years in localities where cases were reported.
Dysentery— During the year dysentery notifications rose to 2,814, compared with 1,812
in 1961. Once again there were more cases in the pre-school age group than in school
children.
Enteric fever— Incidence continued at a low level; no notable outbreaks occurred.
Most cases in recent years have been of the sporadic kind.
Influenza— The number of deaths from influenza was about the average level for a nonepidemic
year.
Leptospirosis— For the sixth successive year there was no case of leptospirosis reported
among the Council's sewer workers.
Measles— 1962 was an inter-epidemic year and there was thus a marked fall in the
number of notifications from 1961. Only one death occurred during the year from measles.
Ophthalmia neonatorum— There was an increase in the number of notifications from
100 in 1961 to 188 in 1962, the rate (per 1,000 registered live births) changing from 1.46
to 2.62. The increase was in the boroughs of Hampstead, Islington and Lambeth; the
notifications came mainly from the principal maternity hospitals in each of these boroughs.
Cases among children born to London residents totalled 108, compared with 70 the previous
year; in 97 cases vision was unimpaired, nine removed and two were still under observation
at the end of the year.
Poliomyelitis— A continued reduction in the numbers of notifications of poliomyelitis
occurred during the year. During the previous three years it had been noted that there was
an unduly high proportion of cases in the 0-4 years age group; in 1962 this proportion
moved back towards the previous level.