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21
INFECTIOUS DISEASE
There were 1,430 cases of infectious diseases notified during the
year, compared with 907 during 1950. Of the total cases 975 were
in respect of measles, an increase of 522 cases over last year.
Diphtheria.
There were no cases during the year; 2 patients suspected to be
suffering from the disease were found after admission to hospital
to be suffering from laryngitis and tonsillitis respectively.
Typhoid and Paratyphoid Fevers.
The 2 cases of Typhoid Fever notified were members of one
family—a mother and her child, aged 8. Although most extensive
enquiries were made and many specimens were taken from contacts,
the source of infection was not discovered. Of the two cases
of Paratyphoid Fever one occurred in a girl aged 6. She was
admitted to hospital because of pyrexia, which she had had for
a week without any obvious cause. After laboratory investigations,
paratyphoid was diagnosed and she was removed to an isolation
hospital. The other case occurred in a woman, aged 54, but the
diagnosis was open to doubt. In neither case could the source of
infection be found, but there appeared to be no connexion between
them.
Food Poisoning.
There was no outbreak of food poisoning during the year. Four
single cases were notified, 3 of them being members of one family.
In no case was it possible to identify the food causing the illness.
Dysentery.
Of the 67 cases of Dysentery notified, 29 cases were of children
who attended Acton Day Nurseries; 21 of these cases occurred at
Horn Lane Day Nursery during March. I closed the Nursery for a
period of 10 days, after which no new cases were reported.
Scarlet Fever.
Cases continued to be of a mild character, 42 of the 72 notified
being nursed at home. In most cases patients were only removed
to hospital where the home conditions were such that they could
not reasonably be treated or isolated at home.
Acute Poliomyelitis.
3 cases of poliomyelitis occurred, all of which were paralytic,
but no deaths occurred from this disease.