View report page

pects whooping cough, a swab is taken, and a very early diagnosis
of the condition is made. Already we have gained valuable
information on the spread of the disease.
This Autumn more of the vaccine will be available, and the
good response to last year's appeal for volunteers makes us
confident that this year we can expect at least another three
hundred entrants in Wembley alone.
8. DAY NURSERIES. The incidence of the infectious
diseases is again tabulated. Our individual experience in the
Borough, of course, is still too limited for general conclusions, but
it has been only in measles that one has felt the introduction of a
case of infection gives grounds for fear of much spread. The
monthly incidence of the infections tabulated in the Appendix
indicates the absence of epidemic spread in any of the Nurseries
except as regards measles and in one or two outbreaks of whooping
cough (in May 1947, however, at Old Kenton Lane Nursery a
sharp outbreak of 25 cases of scarlet fever occurred which will
fall to be reported next year).
The presence of Giardia Lamblia (intestinal protozoon) in
normally healthy children in this country is probably more common
than is generally ascertained but this infection is thought to
cause at times diarrhoea with interference with fat absorption and
case to case spread might occur.
At the end of March, 8 children had loose stools at the
Carlyon Road Day Nursery. According to routine practice
specimens were sent to the Laboratory for examination when 5
were found to contain the cysts of Giardia Lamblia. Specimens
from all the staff were negative. The infected children were
excluded for a time and treated some by their own Doctors, some
at the Central Middlesex County Hospital. One other child was
found to be infected. As infection by dysentery germs was
excluded it was considered that the children might be re-admitted
under strict control. Tests during April and May revealed
that 4 of the children were still infected. In October, as 2
children still showed the infection and a further case of loose
stool was observed, these 3 children were treated by a course of
Mepacrine. In January, 1947, another case came to light and
it was noted further that 2 of the children treated with Mepacrine
were still infected. The entire staff and children at the Nursery
were therefore examined and 5 children (including 2 of those
previously treated by Mepacrine) were found infected A
further course of Mepacrine was carried out and all subsequent
tests were negative. Two other cases of Giardia Lamblia infection
were noted—one at Ealing Road Day Nursery in September
60