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52
SECTION F.
PREVALENCE OF, AND CONTROL OVER INFECTIOUS
AND OTHER DISEASES.
GENERAL.
A year in which only 355 notifications of infectious disease,
excluding tuberculosis, were received must be considered a very
light one. This figure compares with one of 1,033 during the
previous year, and the main reason for the difference was the big
drop in the prevalence of measles.
Other variations which have occurred during the year include
a reduction in the number of cases of acute anterior poliomyelitis
and scarlet fever, and a small increase in whooping cough and a
larger rise in notifications of dysentery.
The overall picture is one of a continued decline in what might
almost be called the traditional infectious diseases and this decline
is shewn not only in lessened numbers but what is even more
important, in decreased virulence. The latter point is underlined
when it is considered that only 40 cases in all. of the notified
illnesses, were treated in hospitals (including 22 cases of Puerperal
Pyrexia).
One of the outstanding features of the year was the introduction,
on a small scale, of the County Council's scheme for
vaccination against acute anterior poliomyelitis. It is much too
early to attempt to judge the efficacy of this new preventive measure
but high hopes are held out for the future and research is
continuing in methods of preventing a disease which quite naturally
produces so much public anxiety.
ACUTE ANTERIOR POLIOMYELITIS.
During the past year 7 cases in all were notified, as against
25 during the previous year. Whether this reduction was due to
the exceptionally inclement weather experienced in the Summer of
1956 or not is uncertain, but it has been noticeable that some of
the worst epidemics have tended to coincide with the end of a
long dry and warm spell.
The County Medical Officer informs me that 409 Bromley
children completed a course of 2 injections against this disease
during the year and that a further 45 received 1 injection, but these
numbers are of course too small to have had any significant
influence on the incidence of this illness.
Further analysis of the 7 notified cases reveals that 3 were
paralytic, 1 was non-paralytic.and the remaining 3 eventually proved
to be other illnesses. Of the 4 confirmed cases 2 were treated in
hospital and 2 home nursed. No deaths were attributable to this
condition.