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Although this large drop would at first glance appear to be
eminently satisfactory, it is wise at all times to bear in mind the
behaviour pattern of this infectious disease. It is true that in some
areas regular annual epidemics occur but more often measles
epidemics occur biennially with a relatively small number of cases
occurring in the intervening years and this would appear to be
what occurs in the Borough of Ealing. This behaviour is due to
the fact that after an epidemic temporary immunity has been given
to the large number of children affected leaving few susceptibles
to be attacked the following year. By the second year, however,
immunity has waned and consequently a large number of susceptibles
are present in the population.
The disease met with nowadays is of a milder type than
heretofore and this coupled with better health and increased
resistance of children plus the use of antibiotics in preventing
secondary infection has put an end to the killing power of measles.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum.
Two notifications were received. One was removed to hospital,
both completely recovered.
Pneumonia.
204 notifications were received, slightly less than in the
previous year. 54 deaths occurred in the following age groups :
Acute Anterior Poliomyelitis and Polioencephalitis.
There were three confirmed cases of poliomyelitis, two paralytic,
one a man aged 42 and the other a woman aged 28.
The non-paralytic case was a boy of 12 years.
The one case of polioencephalitis occurred in a man of 41 years
of age who was admitted to the Central Middlesex Hospital and
died there the same day.
One death, attributed to acute anterior poliomyelitis was
transferred to the Borough of Ealing, the place of residence of the
deceased. The death occurred in a girl of 14 years of age after an
operation necessitated by anterior poliomyelitis.
Puerperal Pyrexia.
54 notifications were received, 47 of these were from Perivale
Maternity Hospital and 7 from private practitioners.
This showed a slight decrease from 1953.
5 — 14 years
15 — 44 years
45 — 64 years
65 and over
1
3
16
34