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50
SECTION F.
PREVALENCE OF, AND CONTROL OVER INFECTIOUS
AND OTHER DISEASES.
General.
A year in which only 578 notifications of infectious diseases,
excluding tuberculosis, were received, must be considered a very
light one. This figure compares with one of 1,640 during the
previous year and the main reason for the difference was the big
drop in the prevalence of measles. Other variations which have
occurred during the year include a reduction in the number of
cases of acute anterior poliomyelitis and scarlet fever, and a small
increase in whooping cough and dysentery.
The overall picture is one of a continued decline in what might
almost be called the traditional infectious diseases, and this decline
is shown not only in the lessened numbers, but what is even more
important, in decreased virulence.
One of the outstanding features of the year was the introduction,
on a small scale, of the County Council's scheme for
vaccination against acute anterior poliomyelitis. It is much too
early to attempt to judge the efficacy of this new preventive measure,
but high hopes are held out for the future and research is
continuing in methods of preventing a disease which quite naturally
produces so much public anxiety.
Acute Anterior Poliomyelitis.
During the past year, twelve cases in all were notified, as
against twenty-one in the previous year. Whether this reduction
was due to the exceptionally inclement weather experienced in the
summer of 1956 or not, is uncertain, but it has been noticeable that
some of the worst epidemics have tended to coincide with the end
of a long dry and warm spell.
The County Medical Officer informs me that 242 Orpington
children completed a course of two injections against this disease
during the year, and that a further 19 received one injection, but
these numbers are of course, too small to have had any significant
influence on the incidence of this illness.
Further analysis of the twelve notified cases reveals that five
were paralytic, five were non-paralytic, and the remaining two
eventually proved to be other illnesses. Of the ten confirmed
cases, six were treated in hospital and the remainder were home
nursed. One paralytic case was fatal.