View report page

Prevalence and Control of
Infectious Diseases
From the table of infectious diseases set out on page 39, it will
be seen that 740 cases were notified during 1952, as against 916 in
1951. This gave an Infectious Sickness Rate for the district of 14.2,
as compared with 17.4 during the previous year. As has been the
case for several years, measles and pertussis (whooping cough) noti'
fications made up more than half the total. It has become more and
more obvious since the war that the infectious diseases picture has
been changing materially. Thus, although measles is still as
prevalent to-day as it was fifty years ago, the disease is very much
milder. Complications and disturbing sequalae are relatively rare,
while the fatality rate has also been reduced. There is some evidence
that pertussis (whooping cough) is also less severe, although this is
not so marked as in the case of measles. When we come to consider
scarlet fever, we find that the case-rate has not fallen, although the
disease is very different indeed from the severe illness of pre-war
days. The older, serious type of scarlet fever with the danger of
nephritis, adenitis and other serious and trying disorders, is almost
unknown today. Indeed, as I have stated on many occasions, it is
extremely doubtful whether this particular disease should continue
to be notified. Very often the patients are recovering or have actually
recovered by the time notification is received, while it is now known
that infection lasts for a very much shorter time than was previously
thought to be the case. For this reason, exclusion of contacts from
school for even a week is of very doubtful value.
As will also be known, diphtheria has practically disappeared
from the list of common infectious diseases. Such diseases as typhoid
and para-typhoid fever are also relatively uncommon, while erysiplas
and pneumonia, although still met with, no longer hold the terrors
for which they were once feared. On the other hand, we are faced
today with an increase in the type of disease caused by viruses. The
most important of these are probably acute anterior poliomyelitis
(infantile paralysis) and virus influenza. We have still a lot to
learn about viruses, although our knowledge is rapidly increasing.
In the meantime, we must remember the part which viruses now
play in the infectious diseases picture, and be prepared to set up an
adequate resistance.
As the Council will be aware, the study of the control and
spread of infectious disease is described as epidemiology. Not so
very long ago, epidemiology was virtually confined to communicable
diseases. We now realize that the scope of epidemiology goes a great
deal further than that. We must discipline ourselves to study the
causes of disease generally in our district, and to try to eliminate
23