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PREVALENCE AND CONTROL OF INFECTIOUS
DISEASE
The following diseases are notifiable in the Borough: Anthrax, Cholera, Continued
Fever, Diphtheria, Dysentery, Encephalitis Lethargica, Erysipelas, Enteric
Fever, Food Poisoning, Glanders, Hydrophobia, Malaria, Measles, Membraneous
Croup, Meningococcal Infection (C.S.M.), Ophthalmia Neonatorum, Pneumonia
Acute Primary, Pneumonia Acute Influenzal, Poliomyelitis (Acute), Polioencephalitis
(Acute), Plague, Puerperal Pyrexia, Relapsing Fever, Scabies, Scarlet Fever (or
Scarlatina), Smallpox, Tuberculosis (all forms), Typhoid Fever (including Paratyphoid),
Typhus Fever, Whooping Cough, Zymotic Enteritis.
Although notification of an infectious disease in a house is incumbent not only
upon the medical practitioner in attendance but also upon the head of the family
or the nearest relative or person in charge of the patient, in fact, it is a rare thing
for a " lay " notification to be received. If the patient is an inmate of a hospital,
in most cases the certificate has to be sent to the Medical Officer of Health of the
district in which the usual residence of the patient is situated, but cases of malaria,
dysentery and the acute pneumonias, are always notifiable to the Medical Officer of
Health of the district in which the patient is residing at the time he is notified.
Measles and Whooping Cough.
During 1951, measles was easily the most common notifiable disease. The
epidemic which began in the last quarter of 1950 continued into the early part of
the year. Of the 2,940 cases notified during the year, 2,380 occurred during the
first quarter of the year. It was necessary for 106 patients to be admitted to
hospital. One death was attributable to measles.
The total number of cases of whooping cough notified during the year was 524,
a similar number to the previous year.
Scarlet Fever.
Of the 206 notified cases of scarlet fever, as many as 127, or 61 per cent. of
the patients, were isolated at home. In the majority of cases the illness was of a
mild nature. Frequent visits are made by the district Sanitary Inspectors to
the homes of the patients in order to ensure that proper precautions are being taken.
Dysentery.
During 1951 the number of cases of dysentery was 70, an increase of 51 on the
previous year's total.
Food Poisoning.
There were no major outbreaks of food poisoning in the Borough during the
year. Notifications totalled 15 and no deaths were attributed to food poisoning.
All the four outbreaks were of undiscovered cause and involved a total of
only 10 persons. There were five single cases. The main symptoms were vomiting
and diarrhoea, the severity of the illness being slight. Bacteriological investigations
failed to reveal any causal organisms.
Poliomyelitis.
Fortunately, we did not have a repetition during the summer months of 1951
of the high incidence of cases of poliomyelitis which had occurred during 1950, when
there were 53 confirmed cases. During 1951 there were only four confirmed cases.
However, notifications were received in respect of a further 15 patients, of whom
14 were removed to hospital but were found not to be suffering from poliomyelitis.
The final diagnosis in the majority of cases was tonsillitis.
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