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25
Contact Examination
The examination and subsequent supervision of persons
coming into contact with patients suffering from Tuberculosis
plays an important part in the prevention of the spread of
infection. During 1957, 709 persons were examined for the first
time as contacts of notified cases of Tuberculosis, giving a contact-case
ratio of 4 for each notified case during the year.
Of these contacts, 11 were found to be tuberculous. This
is equal to a Tuberculosis rate per 1,000 contacts of 15 compared
with 1.18 per 1,000 of the general population. In addition,
there were 9 found to be tuberculous who had been under observation
from previous years.
The number of new contacts examined, together with the
numbers of new cases of Tuberculosis notified in previous years
are as follows:-
1956 - New contacts examined 738.
1955 - " " " " 686.
1954 - " " " " 820.
1953 - " " " " 668.
1952 - " " " " 661.
New cases of Tuberculosis 202
" " " " 171
" " " " 238
" " " " 211
" " " " 243
B.C.G. Vaccination
The use of B.C.G. vaccination for contacts has been continued
during 1957 and regular sessions are held at the Clinic
for this purpose. 420 contacts were successfully vaccinated
during the year, compared with 285 in 1956. In addition, 37
nurses and domestics were successfully vaccinated, and 55 babies
of tuberculous parents were vaccinated in hospital during the
neonatal period.
Towards the end of 1957 details were worked out of a scheme
for offering B.C.G. to children in their 14th year and attending
local Schools. This scheme has been approved by the Ministry of
Health and will be put into operation during 1958, and it is
anticipated that approximately 2,500 children will be offered
B-C.G. during each year. This represents a further advance in
the prevention of Tuberculosis by protecting children at a
vulnerable age and should contribute to the general decline ine in
Tuberculosis in the country.