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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 Neasden Hospital or Hendon Isolation
Hospital, re puerperal pyrexia and ophthalmia neonatorum, Emergency
Bed Service, re smallpox as arranged by the Regional Hospital
Board — Notification of tuberculosis — Authentication of travellers'
inoculation state — Food poisoning notification and investigation —
Scabies, arrangements with the Middlesex County Council —
Complete bacteriological service available at Central Public Health
Laboratory, Colindale, outfits distributed from Public Health Department.
2. INFLUENZA. During the year 1957 a new variant of the
Influenza virus arose in the Far East, where extensive, although mild,
outbreaks occurred. In the early Autumn of the year there was a very
sudden and substantial increase in upper respiratory infections
amongst all sections of the population, and it seemed probable that
many, if not all, of these cases might be due to infection by the new
Asian Influenza virus.
The disease Influenza is not a notifiable infectious disease as
the clinical picture varies so greatly that a clinical definition is not a
feasible proposition. In order to ascertain the incidence, returns were
asked for from the Head Teachers of each of the schools in the
Borough, and it was found that at the height of the outbreak no less
than 23.56 per cent. of all school children were absent from school,
presumably largely due to upper respiratory infection. In the schools
most seriously affected at the height of the outbreak 40.67 per cent.
of children were absent. The Emergency Bed Service at this time
and again eleven weeks later were unable to deal with 25 per cent.
of the calls made on it for accommodation in hospital, and the
Ministry of Labour reported a very substantial increase in absence
from work on account of sickness. The infection, fortunately, was
mild, consisting of upper respiratory symptoms with pyrexia for some
thirty-six hours, followed by a rapid and complete recovery in almost
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