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during the preceding year. In view of the amalgamation it was necessary to decide
whether to allow the Order to lapse or extend it to cover the whole of the new
borough. The Council decided that, in view of the lack of knowledge of the incidence
of this disease in the community and of the efficacy of the control measures, the
opportunity to endeavour to remedy this should not be lost. It accordingly made
an Order under Section 147 of the Public Health Act, 1936, declaring Infectious
Hepatitis to be a notifiable disease in the London Borough of Ealing. The Minister
of Health confirmed the Order, which became operative on the 1st November, 1965,
and will continue in force for a period of three years from that date.
The decision as to what information should be collated and what control measures
should be adopted were taken after consultation with the Medical Research Council
and are in conformity with World Health Organization practice. They can be
summarized as follows:—
(1) A Public Health Inspector visits the household to give advice on the
appropriate hygiene measures which should be adopted.
(2) Arrangements are made for the patient's linen and clothing to be
disinfected by boiling or autoclaving whenever possible.
(3) Contacts are not excluded from work, with the exception of school
meals workers who, if they have a case in the family, are excluded from work
for one month.
(4) In the event of any contact being an expectant mother, a protective
injection of gamma globulin is offered subject to the discretion of the patient's
own doctor. It is thought that this substance gives a measure of protection,
and trials of its efficacy are at present being conducted by the Medical Research
Council. Ealing cases will form part of this trial.
Thirteen notifications were received during the period from the 1st November
until the end of the year.
MALARIA
There were no cases notified.
MEASLES
This disease characteristically has a high incidence in alternate years. 1965 was
a "high incidence " year and 3,618 notifications were received.
MENINGOCOCCAL INFECTION
One case, a child aged five years, was notified. The patient was treated in hospital
and made an uneventful recovery.
OPHTHALMIA NEONATORUM
This disease has in the past been responsible for much blindness in the newborn
and it is satisfactory to know that no cases occurred during the year.
PNEUMONIA
Forty-one cases were notified during the year. This disease is one of those which
the advent of antibiotics has made so much more amenable to treatment, and less
grave in outlook than formerly.
POLIOMYELITIS
No cases were notified during the past year. It is most gratifying to be able to
make a nil return of a disease which has been responsible in the past for much
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