London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Willesden 1949
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Willesden]
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Other Infectious Diseases Notified during 1949.
| Disease | Number Confirmed (number notified in brackets) |
|---|---|
| Typhoid Fever | 2 (4) |
| Dysentery | 4 (6) |
| Malaria. | -(-) |
| Poliomyelitis and Polio-Encephalitis | 33 (54) |
| Cerebro-spinal Fever | 3 (5) |
| No cases of encephalitis lethargica were notified. |
Measles.
990 cases were notified in 1949 (985 confirmed), but a total of 1,106 cases came to the notice of the
health visitors; 635 occurred in children under 5 years of age. There were no deaths from measles in children
under 1 year of age during the year.
Whooping Cough.
212 cases were notified in 1949 (205 confirmed), but a total of 249 came to the notice of the health
visitors; 144 occurred in children under the age of 5 years. There were no deaths from whooping cough in
1949 in children between the ages of 1 and 5 years.
There was a fall in the number of cases of whooping cough, but it is too early to judge whether this was
due to the increase in whooping cough vaccinations.
Pneumonia and Influenza.
175 cases of pneumonia were notified in 1949 (161 confirmed). There were 86 deaths from bronchial
pneumonia, lobar pneumonia and pneumonia (unspecified), and 15 deaths from influenza.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum.
7 cases were notified in 1949, a case rate of 2.42 per 1,000 registered live births. There was complete
recovery with unimpaired vision in all 7 cases.
Puerperal Pyrexia.
57 cases of puerperal pyrexia were notified during the year; all were confirmed.
Food Poisoning.
17 cases of food poisoning were notified during the year; 16 were confirmed.