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21
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
During the year 1,177 cases of infectious diseases were notified
compared with 337 cases during 1956. Of the total notifications
919 were in respect of measles compared with 97 last year.
Poliomyelitis
Twelve cases of poliomyelitis were confirmed during the year, 6
of which had some paralysis. Cases of poliomyelitis are notified as
paralytic when there are or have been, signs of weakness or paralysis
either permanent or transient.
Four of the paralytic and five of the non-paralytic cases occurred
in children under 15 years of age.
Unfortunately a girl aged 6£ years died from bulbar poliomyelitis.
None of the cases had been vaccinated against the disease.
Food Poisoning
Forty-seven cases of food poisoning or suspected food poisoning
were notified, none of them being associated with an outbreak. In
four cases salmonella organisms were responsible for the illness, the
causative agent not being discovered in the remainder.