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SECTION 1
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
CONTROL
The diseases notifiable under the Public Health Act, 1936 are smallpox, cholera,
diphtheria, membranous croup, erysipelas, scarlet fever, typhus, typhoid, enteric
and relapsing fever. The Minister of Health has also made regulations under this Act
whereby the following diseases are notifiable: plague, poliomyelitis, tuberculosis,
puerperal pyrexia, ophthalmia neonatorum, malaria, dysentery, acute primary
pneumonia, acute influenzal pneumonia, measles, whooping cough, acute encephalitis
and meningococcal infection.
Food poisoning is notifiable under the provisions of the Food and Drugs Act of
1955.
Under the Milk and Dairies (General) Regulations, 1959, the occupier of premises
used in the milk trade must notify the Medical Officer of Health if staff are suffering
from or have been in contact with any of the diseases enumerated above. In addition
to these diseases the occupier of such premises has the same obligations in respect
of gastro-enteritis.
The Public Health (Infectious Diseases) Amendment Regulations, 1960, provide
for the notification of Anthrax.
The problem posed by many of these conditions in the past is now much reduced,
smallpox and diphtheria for example, have become a rarity, largely due to immunization,
whilst scarlet fever, although still very prevalent, the type of disease now
encountered bears no relation in severity to that experienced in the early part of this
century. Tuberculosis has yielded to the attack of improved living conditions and
chemotherapy, leaving only a hard core of cases, whilst poliomyelitis, although still
able to cripple, has shown a steady decline since the introduction of immunization in
1957. Less satisfactory has been the decline in those conditions caused by faulty food
hygiene and it is hoped that continued campaigning for improved standards of food
hygiene will result in the near future in a reduction of gastro-enteritis of all types.
In contrast to the reduction in the incidence and severity of many diseases, the great
increase in international travel and its speed has produced problems of its own. This is
particularly so in Ealing, where holiday makers and immigrants often spend their
first few days after entering the country through London Airport. In the event of
their being contacts of an infectious disease this entails a considerable amount of work
in tracing them, surveillance and finally clearing them of infection. Although this is
time consuming work it is an essential protective measure.
DIPHTHERIA
There were no cases to report.
DYSENTERY
Notifications showed an increase over the previous year, from 90 in 1962 to 199
in 1963.
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