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CHAPTER III.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
1. SERVICES PROVIDED, Notification, investigation,
pamphlets issued on the various infectious diseases, exclusion
from school of patients and contacts, advice re milk handlers—
Disinfection — Hospitalisation generally at Hendon Isolation
Hospital or Neasden Hospital, re puerperal pyrexia and ophthalmia
neonatorum, Emergency Bed Service, re poliomyelitis at Royal
National Orthopædic Hospital, re smallpox at Joyce Green
Hospital, Dartford — Notification of tuberculosis — Weekly and
quarterly returns to the Registrar General and County Medical
Officer—Authentication of travellers' inoculation state — Food
poisoning notification and investigation — Scabies, arrangements
with Royal Borough of Kensington — Complete bacteriological service
available at Central Public Health Laboratory, Colindale,
outfits distributed from Public Health Department — anti-toxin
available, diphtheria.
2. There is little to note in this Section for the year, as the
absence of any unusual infectious disease and the lack of any
major outbreak of notifiable disease have not occasioned serious
concern during the year. The incidence of common infections of
infancy varies slightly from time to time and the figures in the
statistical appendix indicate that the experience in 1952 was not
unusual or in any way adverse.
An interesting outbreak of disease occurred in the family of an
importer of tropical birds. The husband was taken suddenly ill
with extreme exhaustion and collapse accompanied by feverish
symptoms and headache; he later devoloped bronchitis. His wife
made application for a home help to assist with the domestic work
and the patient was taken to hospital at the end of a week.
Information was volunteered that many of the birds recently
imported by this man had died and others were sick requiring
the constant attention of his wife. It seemed possible that the
patient was suffering from Psittacosis, a disease transmitted from
the parrot species to humans, and a full bacteriological investigation
was undertaken but results were inconclusive.
Some six days later the wife collapsed and suffered with
severe headache and disturbance of vision. Investigations again
were not absolutely conclusive but it appears that both were
infected by the imported birds. Similar incidents have been
reported in other parts of the country and the Parrots (Prohibition
of Import) (Revocation) Regulations, 1951, which allowed the
importation of parrots was repealed and replaced by the Parrots
and Miscellaneous Birds (Prohibition of Importation) Order, 1953,
thus avoiding the possibility of introducing infected birds into
the country.
3. The supervision of contacts landing from ship or aeroplane
called for routine surveillance of 8 persons regarding smallpox and
Nil persons regarding typhoid fever. Constant vigilance must be
exercised on persons arriving from infected foreign areas and this
supervision must be given with discretion and understanding.
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