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PREVALENCE AND CONTROL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE
The following diseases are compulsorily notifiable in the
Boroughs Anthrax, Cholera, Continued Fever, Diphtherial, Dysentery,
Encephalitis Lethargica, Erysipelas, Enteric Fever, Food Poisoning,
Glanders, Hydrophobia, Leprosy, Malaria, Measles, Membranous Croup,
Meningococcal Infection, Ophthalmia Neonatorum, Pneumonia (Acute
Primary), Pneumonia (Acute Influenzal), Poliomyelitis, Polioencephalitis,
Plague, Puerperal Pyrexia, Relapsing Fever, Scabies,
Scarlet Fever (or Scarlatina), Smallpox, Tuberculosis (all forms),
Typhoid Fever (including Paratyphoid), Typhus Fever, Whooping Cough,
and Zymotic Enteritis.
Infectious diseases notified to the Department are visited by
the Public Health Inspectors at the earliest opportunity and disinfection
is carried out wherever applicable Where the patient is
nursed at home, Public Health Inspectors visit to see that home
isolation is carried out satisfactorily, and at the end of the
infectious period, where necessary, the bedding and other articles
belonging to the patient are removed for treatment at the Disinfecting
Station and the rooms sealed and fumigated.
FOOD POISONING
One outbreak of food poisoning occurred in the Borough during
1957. This took place during the first week of July when the
temperature was very high, and involved over 100 persons - members
of families who had consumed ham and other cooked meats sold from
a local shop. Six patients received hospital treatment. Extensive
investigations were carried out by the Council's Food Inspectors,
full enquiries being made of each household and pathological reports
obtained. The source of infection was traced to a food handler,
who although quite well, was harbouring harmful bacteria in the
nasopharynx. This handler was immediately transferred to other
work away from open food until shown to be clear.
DIPHTHERIA
Two youths and two young women were removed to hospital for
observation during the year as possible cases of diphtheria, but
no confirmed cases were reported. Two of the patients were found
to be suffering from tonsillitis, a third from chicken pox and a
fourth from glandular fever.
SONNE DYSENTERY
Whereas in the previous year there were 524 notified cases,in
1957 only one serious outbreak occurred and the total notified cases
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