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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Enfield 1951
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Enfield]
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23
POLIOMYELITIS AND ACUTE ENCEPHALITIS.
During the course of the year, only one case of poliomyelitis
was notified. This is a reduction on the previous year's figure of
8 cases of poliomyelitis with one death.
The one case notified was an adult female. Symptoms were
mild and doubtful but the case is recorded as Poliomyelitis.
FOOD POISONING
Thirteen cases of food poisoning were notified during the year ;
all were isolated single cases and no outbreak occurred.
SONNE DYSENTERY
The incidence of mild dysentery due to Shigella Sonnei, rose
towards the end of 1950, and more cases than usual were notified
during 1951 (257 in 1951, 24 in 1950).
The prevalence of Sonné Dysentery has been more marked
during recent years, but more accurate diagnosis by bacteriological
methods which are now more readily available, may partly account
for this increase in notifications, as well as the more intensive
bacteriological investigations of contacts.
It was found necessary to take more active steps to exclude
contacts from Day Nurseries, Schools and certain occupations, and
the procedure adopted in investigating bacteriologically these
contacts, and following up of positive cases until free from infection,
involved a considerable amount of work, but it is believed
that the spread of infection was materially reduced by these means.
The following table gives particulars of the ages of the new cases notified and deaths from this disease during the year.
| Age Periods. | New Cases. | Deaths. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Respiratory. | Non-Respiratory | Respiratory. | Non-Respiratory. | |||||
| M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | |
| Under 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| 1 to 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| 5 to 10 | 5 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 10 to 15 | 3 | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 15 to 20 | 8 | 5 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — |
| 20 to 25 | 6 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — |
| 25 to 35 | 9 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | — | 2 |
| 35 to 45 | 8 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | — | — |
| 45 to 55 | 10 | 4 | — | — | 5 | 3 | — | — |
| 55 to 65 | 9 | 1 | — | 1 | 7 | 5 | — | 1 |
| 65 and upwards | 3 | 4 | — | — | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| Totals | 64 | 49 | 8 | 7 | 25 | 20 | 1 | 4 |