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Dysentery.
During the year 661 cases of Dysentery were notified—604 Sonne,
3 Bacillary, 38 Giardia, 16 Sal. Typhi-Murium and 1 Sal. Newport.
Of the 661 cases referred to above, 437 were notified during the first four
months of the year, and was a continuation of the outbreak which commenced
in the Borough towards the end of 1950.
Action taken to deal with the situation was fully reported upon in my
Annual Report for 1950. The effectiveness of these measures (and in particular
the exclusion of all cases of diarrhoea in schools and nurseries until
a negative laboratory test was obtained) is illustrated by the attached diagram
of the Sonne Dysentery epidemic of 1950-51. I am indebted to Dr. M.
Thomas of the Public Health Laboratory Service (Edmonton), who prepared
the diagram.
No major outbreaks occurred after the institution of the control measures
and it should be emphasised that control of this kind was only made possible
by the full co-operation of the General Practitioners, Education Department
and Teachers, the Staff of the Public Health Laboratory Service (Edmonton)
and the Staff of the Health Department.
The careful bacteriological investigation of cases and household contacts
has (in addition to aiding the control of the epidemic) yielded valuable information
about the epidemiology of Sonne Dysentery, in particular about the
specially high rate of attack and length of infectivity of children under 14
years of age as compared with persons over that age.
Again I would like to thank Dr. M. Thomas for the excellent work and
assistance she has rendered to me in connection with this epidemic, and would
add that I always had the full support and co-operation of Dr. Thomas at
all times.
I would like to draw the attention of the Corporation to the immense
assistance rendered by the Laboratory Service in the Town Hall.
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