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17
COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
Measles was again the most prevalent infection (3,589 cases)
and for the first time since 1957 a death from measles was
recorded. This gives a mortality rate over the years of 1 death
in some 18,000 notified cases.
The details of the case were unusual. An infant of 7 months
of age after 2 days indefinite malaise, was found dead in her
cot. Following a post mortem ordered by the Coroner death was
recorded as due to Measles viraemia and Bronchopneumonia. 2
older siblings were suffering from measles, but the baby had
neither rash nor Koplik's spots. Vaccination as advised at about
12 months of age could obviously not influence directly such a
case history, but protection of the older children i.n the
family might have prevented the introduction of illness into the
household.
As previously noted the one case of supposed poliomyelitis
was subsequently diagnosed as a quite different illness, so that
1965 was another year free from cases of this disease.
Total notifications of food poisoning was a record low
number.
Tuberculosis continued to decline in prevalence, and a total
of 4 deaths from all forms of this infection is a record low
figure. Comparable figures are 1956 - 26 deaths; 1946 - 47
deaths.
For details see Appendix, Page 131.