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Scarlet Fever.
There were 420 cases of Scarlet Fever notified, with no
deaths, during 1937; 329 cases (78.3%) were removed to
hospital, while 91 were isolated at home.
In a population so well housed as is Wembley, probably a
larger percentage of cases of Scarlet Fever might quite well be
nursed at home, especially so long as the disease maintains its
present mild type. Every case, of course, requires individual
consideration as to the advisability of either home or hospital
isolation.
Regarding the 329 hospital cases, there were 28 “ return
cases” (8.5%), and there was 1 “return case” in connection
with the 91 patients nursed at home (1.09%). The percentage
of “ return cases ” is a varying one, seeming to depend in part
on the virulence of the germs which may be causing scarlet
fever in the district.
Scarlet fever is but one manifestation of infection by
streptococci and its occurrence from an epidemiological point
of view must be dealt with accordingly. It is wrong to allow a
case of scarlet fever to remain at home if there be an
imminent confinement in the family, as it is also wrong if
there be a possibility of the infected environment causing
spread of the disease by allowing the contamination of milk
or such like foods to take place.
The incidence of scarlet fever in monthly periods during
the year was as follows:— January—19 cases, February—29
cases, March—33 cases, April—31 cases, May—29 cases, June—
29 cases, July—29 cases, August—16 cases, September—60
cases, October—61 cases, November—33 cases, December—51
cases. Total—420 cases.
Diphtheria.
During the year there were 72 cases of diphtheria, with
2 deaths.
For some time the number of cases of diphtheria in
Wembley has been small. In 1935 there were 95 cases, and in
1936 there were only 37 cases. The numbers in monthly periods
rose slightly in October, November and December, 1937, while,
however, one is glad to note that the disease did not reach
epidemic proportions.
The monthly incidence of diphtheria during 1937 was as
follows:— January—5 cases, February—6 cases, March—3
91