View report page

2. INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Details of the incidence of the various notifiable infectious diseases and the
action taken during the year to prevent their spread is as follows:-
Anthrax
No cases were notified during the year.
Cholera
No cases were notified during the year.
Diphtheria
No cases were notified during the year.
Dysentery
333 cases were notified during the year, of which 39 were confirmed bacteriologically.
In all these the organism was shignelli Sonne.
Four moderate outbreaks occurred; one in a day nursery, one in a hostel and two
in schools.
At the day nursery several children were suffering from diarrhoea and sickness
and specimens obtained from all the children and staff resulted in seven children and
one member of staff being positive for Sonne Dysentery.
A child in the Council's hostel for homeless families was notified as suffering
from suspected food poisoning. Tests showed that he was suffering from Sonne
Dysentery. Faecal specimens were taken from alI the other occupants of the hostel,
which revealed that 4 adults, 3 schoolchildren, and 4 infants were also positive for
Sonne Dysentery. The hostel has a common kitchen and multiple use of lavatories,
conditions which are very conducive to the spread of Sonne Dysentery. Immediate
steps were therefore taken to interview all the mothers and stress the need for strict
personal hygiene, hand washing, thorough cleanliness of food utensils, sinks and
lavatories.
At each of the two schools a large number of children attending and some staff
were reported to be suffering from diarrhoea and sickness. Laboratory tests revealed
that at one school there were 22 positive cases, and at the other 17.
11