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27
The outstanding circumstances of 1947 in relation to infectious
diseases were the invasion of the district of poliomyelitis—part of the
outbreak throughout the country—and the outbreak of typhoid fever
in a children's home. The incidence of scarlet fever was exceptionally
light, while the number of cases of diphtheria, too, was very small.
Cerebro-spinal fever and erysipelas had their usual incidence. Measles
which had been increasing in the last months of 1946 was prevalent in
the district in the spring term, invading other schools in the summer
term so that it was not until September that no notifications were
received in any one week. Whooping cough smouldered throughout
the year, being commonest in the summer months. Mumps attacked
some schools in the summer term and chickenpox in the autumn, but
in not one of these infections was the incidence very high. A number
of contacts of cases of smallpox and in the later months of the year of
cholera—the result of the outbreak in Egypt—were kept under
supervision.
DIPHTHERIA.
Incidence.
Of the 30 cases notified as suffering from diphtheria in only six was
the diagnosis confirmed, the condition from which most of the others
were suffering being streptococcal tonsillitis. The corrected figure of
6 gives a rate of 0.03 per thousand population. The national rate was
0.13. The local rate for the years 1934-1946 ranged from 0.08 to 0.60.
Those attacked had not been immunised against diphtheria.
Place of Treatment.
All cases notified were admitted to isolation hospitals, in all instances
those of other authorities.
Deaths.
None of the cases proved fatal.
Immunisation.
Of the 2,807 children immunised against diphtheria during the
year, 1,973 were treated at infant welfare centres, 49 at the nurseries
and 787 by the general medical practitioners. It is estimated that at the
end of the year 53.7 per cent. of children under five in the district were
protected against diphtheria, and 63.6 per cent. of those of ages 5.15.
These figures compare with 54.7 and 61.1 at the end of the previous year.
1,349 children were invited for Schick testing; 531 attended. Of these
2 were positive, a percentage of 0.4.
Provision of Antitoxin.
Diphtheria antitoxin is available at a number of points in the district
for issue to general practitioners for those suffering or suspected to be
suffering from diphtheria.
Schools and Spread of Infection.
In no case this year was there any suggestion that infection had
been contracted in a school.