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67
ACUTE ANTERIOR POLIOMYELITIS.
Small numbers of cases of anterior poliomyelitis were notified in
most years, the actual number of cases in each year from 1934 being
0, 1, 5, 4, 6, 6, 0, 0, 4, 0, 1, 3 and 4.
This district was attacked in 1947, when the rest of the country was
subjected to the epidemic, the diagnosis being confirmed in 31 cases,
It is only in recent years that the disease has taken on an epidemic phase,
so not very much is known of its epidemiology. What is known suggests
that once a community has been heavily attacked, the incidence afterwards
remains at a higher level than before the attack.
In 1948, 16 patients were notified as suffering from poliomyelitis;
in the case of four, however, the diagnosis was not confirmed, leaving
then, 12 cases of this infection. Of these patients, two died. In two
of the patients the onset was in December, 1947, but the diagnosis was
not made until January, 1948. A further patient fell ill in this month,
and another in February. There was then a lull until two cases were
notified in July and two in August. A further lull was followed by two
cases amongst the boys of a residential school in November, and an adult
female, a case which proved fatal. The last case in this year was that of
a child of nine months who fell ill in December. Of the cases, four were
under five years of age, two were between five and 14, three were between
15 and 21, while three were adults. The sexes were equally affected.
ENCEPHALITIS LETHARGICA.
This is a disease which was first epidemic in this country towards
the end of the first world war, many cases occurring in the next few years.
Since that time only sporadic cases have occurred. While occasional
cases continue to be notified, in most the diagnosis is not confirmed.
This was the position in the one case notified this year.
MEASLES.
Measles is a disease which had a marked biennial incidence, an
outbreak starting in the last months of the year to reach a peak in the
spring of the next year, fading to extinction by the late summer or autumn,
after which the district would be free until the development of the next
outbreak. This periodicity was disturbed in 1940, as in many areas the
expected rise did not occur. In this area the epidemic was postponed
to the summer. Instead of the years of heavy incidence alternating
with almost complete freedom from the disease, the intermediate years
are not now nearly as free. This district was attacked in 1947, the incidence
having risen from October, 1946, to a peak in the early part of
1947, when there were 100 cases a week, but it was not until September
that no notifications were received in any week.
1948 was a year with a minor outbreak. A weekly incidence of
12 in January rose to 26 in February, 56 in March, and 64 in April. A
fall to an average weekly notification rate of 37 in May and June was
followed by a steady fall to extinction in September, since when the
disease has smouldered in the district with a weekly average of three
notifications.