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45
PREVENTION OF ILLNESS, CARE AND AFTER CARE
Tuberculosis
The measures for the prevention, control and treatment of
tuberculosis are directed by the chest physicians and staff of the
Chest Clinic at Kingston Hospital.
During 1971, 46 cases were notified in the borough and of
these, 33 were pulmonary and 13 non-pulmonary, compared with the
previous year's figures of 29 and 4 respactively.
This increase in the number of both respiratory and nonrespiratory
cases of tuberculosis during the year should be a warning
against complacency.
The possibility of pulmonary tuberculosis should be kept in
mind in cases of chronic cough in elderly persons among the resident
population, and in all ages in the immigrant population. A chest X-ray
is readily available and will help prevent the spread of infection.
It is regrettable that a chest X-ray is not required before
entry to this country. At least one person arrived in this borough with
the infection during the year.
A tuberculin test and BCG vaccination is now being offered to
students, including those from abroad, attending Kingston Colleges, who
have missed it at school.
The 33 pulmonary cases were in the undermentioned stages of
the disease:
A or Tuberculosis - (sputum negative) 11
B.1 or Tuberculosis + (early cases, sputum
positive) 3
B.2 or Tuberculosis + (intermediate cases,
sputum positive) 16
B.3 or Tuberculosis + (advanced cases,
sputum positive) 3
The non-pulmonary cases were:
Tuberculous epididymitis 2
Skeletal 1