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PREVALENCE AND CONTROL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE
Under Section 144 of the Public Health Act, 1936, and Regulations thereunder,
certain diseases were notifiable by medical practitioners to the Medical Officer of
Health.
On the 15th June, 1968, Infective Jaundice became notifiable under the Public
Health (Infective Jaundice) Regulations, 1968.
However, from the 1st October, 1968, all provisions governing the notification
of infectious disease and food poisoning are now to be found in Sections 47 to
49 of the Health Services and Public Health Act, 1968, and the Public Health
(Infectious Diseases) Regulations, 1968.
Consequently, in addition to food poisoning, the infectious diseases now to be
notified to the Medical Officer of Health from the 1st October, 1968, are:—
Acute encephalitis Ophthalmia neonatorum
Acute meningitis Paratyphoid fever
Acute poliomyelitis Plague
Anthrax Relapsing fever
Cholera Scarlet fever
Diphtheria Smallpox
Dysentery (amoebic or bacillary) Tetanus
Infective jaundice Tuberculosis
Leprosy Typhoid fever
Leptospirosis Typhus
Malaria Whooping cough
Measles Yellow fever
Notification of the diseases listed below is no longer required
Acute influenzal pneumonia Erysipelas
Acute primary pneumonia Membranous croup
Acute rheumatism Puerperal pyrexia
By an order made under Section 50 of the Act of 1968 the notification fee
payable to medical practitioners was increased to 5/- from the 1st October, 1968.
The most prevalent disease during the year was again measles, which made up
just over 31% of notifications received, although only 334 cases were notified compared
with 1,955 last year.
Compared with last year the number of cases of every notifiable disease either
continued to be nil or were less than last year.
Once again it is pleasing to report the absence of the former common infections
such as diphtheria and poliomyelitis.
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