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Winter Respiratory Diseases.
Winter period considered to begin week ending first Saturday
in October, and to end week ending last Saturday in March. For
the period under review the absence of an influenza epidemic is
to be noted.
Notifications Death certifi-
of primary cates in which
pneumonia and acute respiratory diseases
influenzal-pneumonia. mentioned.
1940-41 82 107
1941-42 101 135
1942-43 92 105
1943-44 151 170
1944-45 93 92
These local figures are in accord with the general observations
for the country given in the monthly bulletin of the
Ministry of Health, June, 1945. Serious, moderate and mild
illness rates in the winter months of 1944-45 were less than half
as great as in the winter preceding. For non-catarrhal illnesses
of these grades the monthly incidence rate was between 5 and 6
per 100, compared with 11 to 16 in the previous winter. Colds
and influenza, regardless of any other illness, showed an average
monthly attack rate of 18 per cent, both amongst men and women,
compared with 22 per cent. in the previous winter. Less than
4 per cent, of people per month were laid up as much as a day
on this account, compared with about 8 per cent. in the previous
winter. Non-catarrhal minor ailment rates in the winter months
were about 13 to 15 per 100 monthly, compared with 15 to 21
in the previous winter.
Dysentery.
In March there was a sharp rise in dysentery notifications.
Quite often, as is usual, more than one member of the family
were affected, and the acute phase of the illness generally lasted
only a few days. A number of cases were in children attending
one of the day nurseries, and in order to prevent spread it was
considered necessary to keep the infected children from this
nursery until they had become bacteriologically clear. The cases
were practically all of Sonne infection. Bacillary dysentery is
common and widespread throughout the country. While 'fatal
infections may occur more especially in infants and old people,
the disease is usually mild, the causal organisms being of the
Sonne or Flexner types in most cases; Shiga infections are often
severe, however, but their occurrence is much less frequent than
is either Sonne or Flexner dysentery. Sonne dysentery is now
considered endemic in this country.
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