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66
Head Teachers about children absent from school as sufferers or as
contacts of such infections.
Chickenpox
The district was much less heavily affected this last year than in
1952, only 524 intimations being received, these being mostly from
Longfield School in the Spring term, from Pinner Park School in the
Summer term and a very heavy infection of Cannon Lane School in
the third term of the year. Apart from these heavier invasions of these
schools, small numbers of cases were reported from most schools in the
Spring term and rather fewer in the other terms.
Mumps
There was very little of this infection in the district in 1953, only
82 intimations having been received. Of these, 25 were from one school.
German Measles
The district was also free from this complaint this last year, only
100 intimations being received. As contrasted with the ordinary form
of measles which was prevalent in the Spring term and quiet for the rest,
although there were a few cases of German measles in the Spring term
most of the infection was in the Summer term.
Influenza
In December, 1952, the number of persons in England and Wales
notified to be suffering from pneumonia rose very rapidly, a rise which
continued into January, 1953, and then into February. In January the
number of deaths from influenza rose, reaching a maximum in February,
after which there was a sharp fall. Although there were localised outbreaks
in the north, it was not until January that influenza spread to
London and the surrounding towns, to a rather less extent in the southern
half of England. It was not until the end of January that there was any
marked rise in the number of deaths occurring in the Great Towns and in
London, deaths which occurred mostly amongst older persons. Attacks
were caused mostly by the Scandinavian A virus, though in some places
invasion was due to virus B. By the middle of February there had been
a marked fall in the prevalence in and around London, though the
northern parts of the country were still being attacked and it was not
until March that the decline became general. Most of the 28 deaths of
local residents ascribed to influenza occurred during February. Pneumonia
deaths were steady throughout January and February ; they
persisted in the succeeding weeks, some cases occurring as late as the
middle of May. 60% of the deaths ascribed to influenza in this district
were amongst those over 75 years of age.
Psittacosis
In January, 1952, the Parrots (Prohibition of Import) Regulations,
1930, were revoked, and the import trade of parrots and other similar
birds was again permitted. Regulations reintroducing the ban on
imported parrots were made in February, 1953, by the Ministry of