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entered the food by natural means not having been destroyed.
Ducks' eggs in particular should be boiled for a minimum of 10
minutes before consumption. Their use in sponge or cake making
should be avoided as the interior of these foods is not sufficiently
heated to destroy these germs.
POLIOMYELITIS.
It will be remembered that this disease first assumed major
importance in this Country in the hot summer of 1947, since when,
owing to the serious results which can occur, it has received considerable
attention.
Fortunately in 1956, relatively few cases were notified and in
this District not more than 7 confirmed cases occurred, the diagnosis
of one of these being doubtful. The first 4 cases were all of
about school age and all were non-paralytic. One occurred in
each of the months, June, July, August and October. In November,
however, 3 paralytic cases of slight to moderate severity occurred,
one being a child living in Coulsdon (as were 3 of the original 4)
and the others being isolated adults resident in Sanderstead (as
was the remaining original case). All recovered with a negligible
amount of permanent paralysis if any.
As usual, several cases were admitted to hospital as suspected
of having poliomeylitis and the difficulty was again experienced of
deciding between ill-defined non-paralytic cases of poliomyelitis
and cases due to a variety of other organisms causing similar
symptoms. A number of contacts with cases of poliomyelitis in
other Districts had also to be kept under observation.
ENCEPHALITIS.
One case of a child was notified in June as suffering from
encephalitis and as the hospital staff considered it was suffering
from the "Royal Free" type of acute disseminated encephalomeningitis
the notification was accepted. Unfortunately the child subsequently
died as a result of a cerebral tumour which had caused
the confusing symptoms.
MALARIA.
Two adult males were notified as suffering from malaria, but
the disease had originally been contracted abroad.
MEASLES.
This most common infection is more prevalent in alternate
years and, as over 1,000 cases had occurred in 1955 it was not
surprising that only 82 new cases were notified in 1956. The
disease was again of a mild type and, in fact, only two local
cases with very exceptional complications have died from this
disease since the war.
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