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43
Scarlet Fever.
755 cases were notified during the year. This is an incidence
of 7.6 per thousand population. In 1933, the number of notified
cases was 574, showing a total increase of 181. As in diphtheria,
the children most affected were those between 1 and 15 years of
age, there being a marked falling off in the numbers affected above
this age, and only one in a child of less than one year.
Of the total number of cases, 443 were removed to hospital,
of whom 399 were admitted to Rush Green, the remaining 44 were
admitted to other Isolation Hospitals, chiefly the London Fever
Hospital. There was a total of 16 return cases; in 15
instances primary cases were discharged from hospital a few days
before the onset of secondary cases, the remaining primary case
was nursed at home. One case was discharged from hospital and
notified again as suffering from scarlet fever 18 days later; this
was evidently a reinfection, a condition which does occur in a small
proportion of cases. Unfortunately there is no means of ascertaining
that such reinfection will take place.
Secondary Cases.
There were 84 secondary cases ; in 53 instances the primary
cases were removed to hospital, but the remaining 31 were nursed
at home.
Deaths.
Only one death occurred, giving a mortality rate of .0101 per
thousand of the population: this is just half the annual death rate
occurring in the total population of England and Wales, and may be
considered as an indication that in Dagenham the disease presented
a mild form during the year.
It will be evident that nursing a comparatively large proportion
"f the cases at home has, if anything, lowered the mortality rate,
thereby allaying the fears held by some that a risk was being run
• adopting this procedure.
Dick Test.
No children were Dick-tested during the year.
Schools.
1 he incidence at the various schools with the ages of the children
concerned is set out in tabular form. No conclusion can be drawn
from this that any particular school was markedlv responsible.
The ages chiefly involved were those from 5 to 7 years, the numbers
decliming from entrants to those of 13 and upwards, except in the
case of 11 year olds, when there was a slight increase on those of
the previous year.