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10
INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
Table IV in the Appendix gives details of all the cases of infectious
disease notified during the year. The total of 671 is very much
higher than the figure for 1945, which was 494, but the increase is
almost entirely accounted for by the greatly increased prevalence
of measles in 1946. Only seven cases of diphtheria were notified,
and for the seventh year in succession no death from this disease
occurred in Wood Green, a highly satisfactory record. 73 cases of
scarlet fever were notified without a death, and there were no deaths
from measles or whooping cough. There were 76 notifications of
pulmonary tuberculosis with 22 deaths, and 10 notifications of nonpulmonary
tuberculosis with three deaths. There were 33 cases of
pneumonia notified, and 36 deaths from this disease.
DIPHTHERIA IMMUNISATION.
Immunisation against diphtheria was continued as in former
years, the number of children immunised during the year being 990.
Of these 741 were under five years, the vast majority of them being
immunised about the date of their first birthday, and 249 were at
ages from 5 to 15 years. The material used in all cases was Alum
Precipitated Toxoid, provided free by the Ministry of Health. At
the end of the year it was estimated that 60 per cent. of the children
under 5 had been immunised, and 81 per cent. of those from 5 to 15.
SCABIES.
All cases of scabies requiring treatment during 1946 were sent
to the Hornsey Cleansing Station, by arrangement with the Hornsey
Borough Council, and a total of 147 cases were so dealt with. Of
these, 19 were under school age, 54 were school children, and 74 were
adults. The number dealt with in the previous year was 171.
BACTERIOLOGICAL WORK.
Since the beginning of February, 1946, all the bacteriological
work which used to be carried out at the Joint Isolation Hospital
has been done instead at the Central Public Health Laboratory,
Colindale, which caters for all the Local Health Authorities in
North-West Middlesex. The specimens examined during the year were as follows:—