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PREVALENCE OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
Measles and Whooping Cough.
These diseases were made compulsorily notifiable in October, 1939.
788 cases of Measles and 88 cases of Whooping Cough were notified during
the year. There was one death from Measles and one from Whooping Cough.
Diphtheria.
I am happy to report the continued low incidence of this disease. There
is an increase over last year, but even so, the incidence remains low; 24 cases
were notified during the year compared with 11 in 1945. There were no
deaths.
Scarlet Fever.
This disease continued to occur throughout the year in a mild form;
there were 299 cases compared with 194 in 1945 ; there were no deaths.
"Return" cases numbered 7 allowing for an interval of 28 days between
a patient returning home from the Isolation Hospital and the onset of the
disease in another inmate of the house.
Smallpox.
No cases of smallpox were notified during the year.
Poliomyelitis.
Three cases of this disease were notified during the year. There were no
deaths from this disease.
Dysentery.
Thirty-three cases were notified during the year, 32 of the Sonne type and
1 Flexner type. Investigation failed to reveal the cause of infection. There
were no deaths from this disease.
Cerebro Spinal Fever.
Four cases were notified during the year. These cases were carefully
investigated and precautions taken to prevent the spread of infection. Two
deaths took place.
Puerperal Pyrexia and Ophthalmia Neonatorum.
These are referred to later on under the heading of Maternity and Child
Welfare.
Food Poisoning.
No cases were notified during the year.
Pneumonia.
Thirty-three cases were notified during the year.
Diarrhoea and Enteritis under 2 years of age.
The death rate per 1,000 live births for London was 4.2 whilst that for
Edmonton was 5.21 as compared with 7.6 and 2.5 respectively last year.
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