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42 Scarlet Fever.
To prevent " return " cases as far as possible, great
care is taken in dismissing cases from the Isolation
Hospital, particular attention being paid to the nose,
ears and submaxillary glands, enlargement of which
seems to indicate active infection.
After dismissal from the hospital all cases are visited
at their homes by the Health Visitors at least twice
during the first fortnight, and if there is any sign of
the ears or nose being affected, further isolation is
advised and further exclusion from school directed,
repeated visits being made until the condition of the
nose or ears is such as to warrant the patient being
allowed freedom to mix with other children. It often
happens that a patient, on reaching home, develops a
nasal discharge, and the precautions indicated are
desirable to prevent infection, should the nasal secretions
be still infective. During the year the Health Visitors
made 113 first visits and 111 subsequent visits to scarlet
fever convalescents after their return home.
Only one death occurred among the 171 cases of the
disease, giving a mortality rate of 0.6 per hundred cases,
and a scarlet fever death-rate of 0.01 per 1,000 of
population. This death-rate is low compared with
that for England and Wales and the 96 Great Towns.
death-rate from scarlet fever.
Ealing 0.01 per 1,000 of population.
England and Wales 0.04 „
96 Great Towns 0.04 „ „
London 0.05 „ „