View report page

50
SECTION F.
PREVALENCE OF, AND CONTROL OVER INFECTIOUS
AND OTHER DISEASES.
General.
Only 498 notifications of infectious diseases were received
during the year, a total which is exceptionally small, and compares
with the figure of 2,284 recorded during 1957.
By far the greater part of this big reduction is attributable to
the fact that 1958, unlike 1957, was not a " measles year." This
fact alone accounts for a difference of 1,800 in the total notifications
but is, of course, of no particular significance as a pointer to
the District's Health.
Smaller, but in fact more significant improvements on the
previous year, were the falls in the notifications of Tuberculosis
and Whooping Cough, and the fact that no cases of dysentery were
reported during the year. The total number of poliomyelitis cases
was very small, numbering only four, compared with seven in
1957, and for the second year in succession, no cases of
meningoccocal infections occurred.
From the above, it will be seen that the overall picture of the
infectious diseases during the year was an eminently satisfactory
one. Comment on individual diseases will be found in the
subsequent paragraphs.
Acute Anterior Poliomyelitis.
During the year only four cases were notified, as against seven
in the previous year.
Three cases were confirmed as being paralytic and one nonparalytic,
and all were admitted to hospital. One death from acute
poliomyelitis was recorded.