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4
INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
During the year 1926, 1,983 cases of Infectious Disease were notified as compared with 1,883
in the previous year. The total of 1.983 includes 466 notifications of Diphtheria as compared
with 304 in 1925, 359 cases of Scarlet Fever as compared with 263 in 1925, and 232 cases of Pneumonia
as compared with 356 in 1925.
Return Cases of Scarlet Fever.—The following statement gives the return cases that have
occurred during 1926 :—
I. Home Cases.—Approximately 20.
(a) No. of infecting cases giving rise to return cases not longer than
28 days after release from isolation 0
„ return cases they gave rise to 0
„ infecting cases per cent. of total home cases 0
„ return cases per cent. of total home cases 0
(b) No. of infecting cases giving rise to return cases more than 28
days after release from isolation 0
„ return cases they gave rise to 0
„ infecting cases per cent. of total home cases 0
„ return cases per cent. of total home cases 0
II. Hospital Cases.—Approximately 339.
(a) No of infecting cases giving rise to return cases not longer than
28 days after discharge 12
„ return cases they gave rise to 18
No. of infecting cases per cent. of total hospital cases 3.5
„ return cases per cent. of total hospital cases 5.4
(b) No. of infecting cases giving rise to return cases more than 28
days after discharge 4
„ return cases they gave rise to 4
„ infecting cases per cent. of total hospital cases 1.2
„ return cases per cent. of total hospital cases1.2
Small Pox.—Two cases of Small Pox were not fied in Willesden during 1926, one of which
proved fatal. The original case, a man of 43 years, was infected in Paris. He became ill in a London
Hotel, but the disease was unrecognised. He moved with his wife to a nursing home in Willesden
where his wife became ill with severe haemorrhagic small pox. The Medical Officer of Health was
called in, diagnosed small pox and had the patients removed to the Kingsbury Small Pox Hospital
where the woman patient died the same evening. All contacts, with one exception who had been
vaccinated 5 years previously, were vaccinated immediately and no further cases occurred in Willesden.
No vaccinations were performed by the Medical Officer of Health under the Public Health
(Small-Pox Prevention) Regulations, 1917.
Typhoid Fever.—7 cases of this disease were notified during 1926 as against 6 in 1925 and
19 in 1924. Of these 7, 4 were treated in the Municipal Hospital, 1 in a London Hospital and 2 in
their own homes.
Of the 4 cases removed to the Municipal Hospital 1 was diagnosed as probably Malaria and 1
as ulcerative colitis. Both recovered. The remaining 2 were diagnosed as Typhoid Fever, one
recovered and one died, this being the only death recorded from Typhoid Fever during 1926'.
The case treated in a London Hospital recovered.
The 2 cases treated at home recovered.
Infectious Diseases of the Nervous System, Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis, Poliomyelitis,
Encephalitis Lethargica and Acute Polio-Encephalitis.—19 cases of these diseases were notified
in 1926, 4 proved fatal, giving a fatality rate of 21 per cent, of cases notified.
Non-notifiable acute infectious diseases are reported from the Public Elementary Schools and
are found by The Health Visitors during the cotfrse of home visitation.
During 1926, 1,061 cases of measles, which is not notifiable in Willesden, were visited by the
Health Visitors.
Whooping Cough is a notifiable disease in Willesden. 419 cases were notified during the year,
but a total of 1,229 cases coming to their knowledge were visited by the Health Nurses.