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24
VACCINATION
780 persons received primary vaccination and 181 re-vaccination.
POLIOMYELITIS AND ACUTE ENCEPHALITIS.
During the course of the year ten cases of poliomyelitis occurred
in the District, varying in severity from slight to one fatal case.
The ages ranged from 8 months to 32 years, the age distribution
being 2 cases under five years, 2 between 5 and 14 years and 6
between 15 and 32 years. Six of the cases were male and four
female.
They were distributed over the district, but two of the adult
cases were in the same household and developed the illness within
a few days of each other.
The first case to be notified during the year occurred in March.
No further cases occurred until the end of July when four cases
occurred, followed by another four cases in August, and a further
one in October. Apart from the two adult cases in the same household,
no evidence of association between cases could be found.
FOOD POISONING
Twenty-six cases of food poisoning were notified during the
year, of which 16 were single cases, 15 due to "Salmonella typhimurium
"and 1 due to" Salmonella St. Paul." In addition, 4 cases
were notified in one household, but no agent was identified.
Several mild cases were also reported in connection with a meal
served in a non-residential establishment. Investigations suggested
that meat pie infected with heat resistant CI. Welchii was
responsible. A few mild cases were also reported from a residential
establishment, and investigations also showed a number of symptomless
cases, due to Salmonella typhi-murium, but no conclusive
evidence as to source of infection was secured.
SONNE DYSENTERY
The incidence of mild dysentery due to Shigella Sonnei, showed
a reduction of 17 cases on last year's figures. It is believed that
the spread of infection was reduced to some extent, by the steps
taken to exclude contacts from Day Nurseries, Schools and certain
occupations, and by the intensive search for contacts, followed by
bacteriological investigation, and control of those found to bo
positive, but it put a considerable strain on the Department and
the Laboratory.