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22
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
During the year 327 cases of infectious diseases were notified
compared with 934 during 1953. The decrease was mainly due to
the fact that there were only 87 cases of measles notified compared
with 546 last year.
The total notifications and the number of measles notifications
were the lowest for ten years.
Diphtheria
One case of diptheria occurred during the year in a Jamaican
nurse aged 18, who had not been immunised against the disease,
having only recently arrived in this country. She had a sore throat
for two weeks before admission to hospital and virulent diphtheria
bacilli were isolated. Negative swabs were obtained from contacts
and no further cases occurred in the nurses' home or hospital
wards.
The case was uncomplicated and she was discharged from
hospital after four weeks' treatment.
Food Poisoning
During the year 8 cases of food poisoning were notified, none of
them being associated with an outbreak. In two cases the causative
agent was found to be salmonella organisms, the agent not being
discovered in the remainder.
Scarlet Fever
Cases continue to be of a very mild character. Of the 86 cases
notified only 13 were removed to hospital.