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46
A local authority can, with the sanction of the Minister, add to
the list of diseases which are notifiable. In this way, pemphigus of the
new-born has been made notifiable in this district.
The Minister of Health is empowered to take steps to control the
spread of various infections. Under these he has made regulations
which call for the notification of the following conditions:—plague,
acute poliomyelitis, tuberculosis, puerperal pyrexia, ophthalmia neonatorum,
malaria, dysentery, acute primary pneumonia, acute influenzal
pneumonia, measles, whooping cough, and, since January 1st, 1950,
acute encephalitis and meningococcal infection.
Food poisoning is notifiable under the provisions of the Food &
Drugs Act.
Enquiries.
Following receipt of the notification a visit is made to the home,
usually by the health visitor, but in certain conditions, such as food
poisoning or the enteric or the dysenteric infections, or smallpox, by the
sanitary inspector. The enquiries are directed to two ends. The first
is to determine, if possible, the source of the infection, with the object of
taking whatever steps might be practicable to avoid others being infected
from that source. The second line of enquiry is to enable such steps to
be taken as will minimise the spread of infection by the infected person.
Aid to Diagnosis.
The earlier diagnosis, the greater the likelihood that preventive
measures will limit the spread of infection. In some diseases, the
laboratory is of help.
Where a patient is suffering from some clinical condition which is
suspected as being infectious, and in which the help of the laboratory
is sought, it is usually advisable, pending the confirmatory diagnosis,
for the same precautionary steps to be taken as if the patient were known
to be suffering from the infectious condition.
The other assistance a practitioner can obtain in the making of a
diagnosis is having the second opinion from the medical superintendent
of the Isolation Hospital. To obtain a consultant's opinion in doubtful
cases of smallpox or typhus fever the medical practitioner gets into touch
with those at the Public Health Office, who arrange for the attendance
of one of the consultants on the list of the Ministry of Health.
Isolation.
Whether the isolation of a patient suffering from a communicable
disease is necessary depends on the usual mode of spread of the complaint.
The stringency of the isolation is partly dependent on the
severity of the disease ; its value is largely determined by the infectiousness
of the patient before the nature of the disease is first recognised.
Not all those suffering from the communicable diseases have to be
admitted to hospital. It is not usual to admit those suffering from the
commoner non-notifiable children's complaints, such as mumps, chicken-