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SECTION F
INFECTIOUS DISEASES CONTROL
A notable feature of the year has been the complete absence of
Poliomyelitis. For the first time there were no notifications of either
paralytic or non-paralytic illness, and while some notifications of
non-paralytic illness may still occur in future years, if this improvement
is maintained the diagnosis will need to be more definite than it is
today.
The biennial increase of Measles was nearly 200 more than in
1957, but Whooping Cough notifications were about half those of
last year, and a third of those of two years ago.
A considerable increase in the number of cases of Sonne Dysenterv
was part of a general increase in the district adjacent to the West and
North of the Borough. Of 33 cases notified between the 23rd January
and the 16th July, the largest number of 15 occurred during June.
Seventeen families were involved and 108 faecal specimens were sent
to the Public Health Laboratory by the Health Department. In 17
cases, specimens were sent by the family doctor for examination to the
Hospital Laboratory.
In 26 cases, the patient was a child and 17 children were of school
age. Six children from different families attended the same school in
the period 12th June to 6th July and two children, the first and second
cases notified from different families attended the same Preparatory
School in London. The evidence strongly suggested a contact infection
in School. In four families, two or more contacts in the home were
negative on bacteriological examination, while in two other families,
there was one secondary case; the other members were negative on
bacteriological examination. In one family, a baby of 1 year 10 months
was confirmed as a case of dysentery, while three other members of
the family were unaffected, and bacteriological examinations were
negative. Contact with other children seems a likely link. In seven
families, visits by the Inspectors, followed by bacteriological examinations,
brought to light other cases or carriers—one child known to
have the disease had a fall and was admitted to Isolation accommodation
in the Accident Ward of a local hospital, but all other cases were nursed
at home.
The annual Return of Food Poisoning which was forwarded to the
Ministry of Health, shewed five cases of Food Poisoning ; in one case
the agent was not identified and in four others, Salmonella Typhimunum
was reported. One case occurred in the second quarter and four cases
in the third quarter of the year. Three cases of Salmonella food
poisoning occurred in one family, but a time lag of 17 days was too
long to ascertain details of suspected food or other source of infection.
The father and younger sister had felt unwell three weeks prior to
onset of acute symptoms.
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