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The first outbreak was discovered as the result of the routine
examination of faeces of two new entrants to the Edmonton Day Nursery. One
was a boy aged 2¼ years, and the other a girl aged 8 months. Both these
children were found to be infected with Sonne bacilli and the girl was admitted
to St. Ann's General Hospital in January. It was found that these two
children were cared for during the day by a child minder at her own house and
that two other children, a boy aged 2 years and a girl aged 4 years, were
looked after by her at the same time. These two children were found to be
infected and so was their own mother. Further investigation showed that
another boy, a playmate of the boy entrant to the Day Nursery, was infected,
and so was his mother. The boy entrant's grandmother was found to be infected,
as was the lodger at the same address. The first outbreak then,
accounts for nearly one-sixth of the cases.
The second outbreak occurred at a boarding school for physically
handicapped girls. The visiting Medical Officer informed me on the 15th
February, that he had three cases of Dysentery in this school, and the condition
of one of the cases wag such that he had to remove her to hospital on
the previous day. He had already submitted faeces specimens to the laboratory
and these proved to be positive. Specimens were taken from all the
children at the school and from all the staff. Four girls and one member of
the staff were found to be infected with Sonne bacilli. The girls were isolated
in the school sick-bay and the member of the staff was moved to hospital
and regular disinfection of lavatory seats and the hands of staff and girls
was practised. The original source of the outbreak was not discovered, but
the measures taken proved sufficient to prevent any further spread of the disease.
MENINGOCOCCAL INFECTION
One case was notified during the year.
OPHTHALMIA NEONATORUM
Eleven cases were notified during the year, all in the North Middlesex
Hospital.
PUERPERAL PYREXIA
110 cases were notified during the year, 105 at the North Middlesex
Hospital, and 5 at home.
SCARLET FEVER
217 cases were notified in 1958, only one being a return case.
Scarlet Fever appears to be on the increase, but the increase seems less marked
in Edmonton than elsewhere.
TUBERCULOSIS
A Mass X-Ray Unit of the North East Metropolitan Regional Hospital
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