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21
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
During the year 337 cases of infectious diseases were notified
compared with 956 during 1955. The decrease was mainly due to the
fact that there were only 97 cases of measles notified compared with
647 last year.
Food Poisoning
Thirty-three cases of food poisoning or suspected food poisoning
were notified, none of them being associated with an outbreak. In
5 cases salmonella organisms were responsible for the illness, the
causative agent not being discovered in the remainder.
Typhoid Fever
Two cases of typhoid fever were notified during the year. A male
Polish National was admitted to hospital with typhoid fever. Following
investigation his mother, with whom he was living, was
admitted to hospital as a voluntary patient for treatment as a carrier.
Treatment proved unsuccessful and she was discharged. Her
son discharged himself after 8 weeks treatment, classified as a convalescent
carrier.
The strain of salmonella typhi isolated belongs to an untypable
Vi strain and resembles the strain isolated during the outbreak
amongst the Polish Community in Acton last year but no link could
be found between these cases.
Two typhoid carriers have been kept under surveillance following
the 1955 outbreak. Faecal specimens submitted were negative.