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immediately on arrival at the school and immediately after using the W.C.—
paper towels to be provided. Wash basins and W.C.s at all schools to be
thoroughly cleansed each day with a solution of Lysol.
I also asked that any child absent from school during the past 2 weeks
on account of Diarrhoea or sickness to be sent home at once and the Head
Teacher to inform the Public Health Department of the name and address of
each child sent home, so that the Sanitary Inspector might call at the home
and arrange for the submission of 2 faeces specimens and if these proved
negative the child would return to school.
Within a few days several hundred children were notified to me to be
absent from school as suffering from or to have recently suffered from
Diarrhoea and/or vomiting. Each of these children was visited and faeces
outfits left at the homes.
The inhabitants of the Borough were informed through the Local Press
of the outbreak of Dysentery in the area, and advised of the necssity for the
strictest attention to personal hygiene. Children suffering from Diarrhoea
to be kept away from School, and all persons so suffering to consult their own
doctors at once. Care in the preparation of food, and the disinfection of
soiled personal clothing or bedding.
Specimens were requested from home contacts—Positive cases employed
in food handling were excluded until 3 consecutive negative specimens were
obtained. Home contacts of school age were also excluded until the patient
submitted 3 consecutive negative specimens, and they themselves submitted
3 consecutive negative specimens.
Between 29th November, 1950 and 23rd December, 1950—the Public
Health Department submitted 1,178 fæces specimens for examination by the
Public Health Laboratory Service (Edmonton), 196 were found to be positive.
Up to the end of the year 94 cases of Dysentery had been notified—91
Sonne. 2 Bacillary and 1 Flexner.
So far investigation has failed to show the source of the outbreak ; owing
to the generally mild nature of the illness, I strongly suspect the disease must
have been prevalent in the Borough for some time, but the action taken by the
Department following the outbreak in the Nursery Class, referred to above,
revealed the extent of the incidence.
The Flexner patient proved to be contact of a case of this disease which
had occurred in a neighbouring Borough.
I should like to record my appreciation of the valuable co-operation
received from the General Practitioners, Education Department and Teachers,
also the Staff of the Public Health Laboratory Service (Edmonton) with whom
we have maintained the closest contact.
Meningococcal Infection-
Four cases were notified during the year.
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