View report page

12
Dysentery.
179 cases were notified during the year and in 96 the Sonne
organism was discovered.
The illness is usually a mild one—but recent investigations
have shown that even after clinical recovery the organisms may
be found in the patient's stool for many weeks—and such persons
are liable to spread infection.
The cases were all individual and small family outbreaks. There
were 6 familial outbreaks involving 19 persons but no major
outbreak in a school or nursery.
When a person who suffers from dysentery is engaged in the
food handling trades, return to work is not permitted until satisfactory
laboratory results are obtained—and an explanation is
given as to the importance of personal hygiene.
Enteric Fever.
There were no cases of Typhoid Fever.
Two cases of Paratyphoid were notified.
The first was an elderly woman, who was diagnosed as such
during routine examinations for another condition while she was
in the West Middlesex Hospital. She was symptomless and there
was no evidence of the origin of the infection. It is possible she
had been a carrier for some years. This patient subsequently
died from another complaint.
The second case was a child of 13 years who appears to have
contracted it while on holiday in Wales, where other cases occurred
in the town where she stayed.
Enteric Fever Carriers.
Only one carrier, a Paratyphoid, remains in the district.
(Typhoid carriers mentioned in the previous year's report have
removed from the district, which we note with a somewhat selfish
satisfaction !)
This carrier contracted the disease while on holiday in France
in 1949. Since then she has been kept under surveillance and is
fully aware of her responsibilities.
Erysipelas.
26 cases were notified as against 16 in the previous year.
There were no deaths.
It has been held to be anomalous that while certain diseases
caused by streptococci are notifiable, i.e., erysipelas, and scarlet
fever, others such as tonsillitis and cellulitis are not.