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PREVALENCE AND CONTROL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE
Under Section 144 of the Public Health Act, 1936, and Regulations thereunder,
the following diseases are notifiable by medical practitioners to the Medical Officer
of Health:—
scarlet fever, erysipelas, diphtheria and membranous croup, smallpox, enteric
fever, typhoid fever, typhus fever, relapsing fever, cholera, acute poliomyelitis,
acute encephalitis, meningococcal infection, measles, whooping cough,
ophthalmia neonatorum, puerperal pyrexia, malaria, dysentery, acute primary
pneumonia, acute influenzal pneumonia, anthrax, tuberculosis, leprosy, food
poisoning (Food and Drugs Act, 1955) and plague (L.G.B. Order 1900).
Provisions in relation to the control of infectious diseases by local authorities
are contained in Sections 145 to 180 of the Public Health Act, 1936, as amended by
both the National Health Service Act. 1946, and the Public Health Act, 1961.
Special provisions in relation to food poisoning are contained in the Food & Drugs
Act, 1955.
Further provisions are contained in Regulations made under these various Acts.
The most prevalent infectious disease during the year was measles, making up
nearly 70% of the notifications received. This was not unexpected in view of its
biennial periodicity of prevalence.
Sonne dysentery was fairly prevalent, but the prompt application of rigid
hygiene control in schools appeared to be effective.
It is pleasing to report again the absence of the former common infections such
as diphtheria, poliomyelitis and enteric fever.
Less satisfactory were the 99 notified cases of respiratory tuberculosis and the
22 cases of tuberculosis of other organs, including genito-urinary tract, lymph glands
and meninges. There were only seven deaths from the disease, all respiratory cases,
and all occurred in persons over the age of 45 years, four being over 65 years of age.
Although remarkable progress has been made in the prevention and treatment
of tuberculosis, the disease still requires relentless vigilance. Investigation of any
local factors affecting the incidence continues to be made.
Of all notified cases of infectious disease, 1,407 were school children, and head
teachers informed us of 429 children absent from school due to infectious or suspected
infectious disease.
Measles
There were 2,283 cases of measles notified and the attack rate was 8.49 per
1,000 of the population.
There were no deaths.
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