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St. James Street 37
High Street 24
Hoe Street 28
Wood Street 66
Hale End 45
Higham Hill 32
Scarlet Fever is far better nursed at home unless conditions
preclude this being done.
The last fatal case of Scarlet Fever occurred in 1936, since
when (up to the end of 1947) there were 3,150 non-fatal cases.
SCARLET FEVER AT AN INSTITUTION
A considerable outbreak of mild Scarlet Fever occurred at a
residential Home for children with an associated elementary school.
The outbreak started in November, 1946, the first 3 cases
originating in school children. From November to the end of the
year there were 8 cases (5 from the Home), in January 9 (5), in
February 17 (13), in March 6 (4) and in April 1 (0).
The total of persons at risk were about 150 in the Home (including
36 in the Nursery Wing) and 10 staff. There were about
333 on the school roll (including approximately 100 from the Home)
with an attendance on the 4th February of 237 including 98 from
the Home.
Early in February the position was discussed with the Medical
Branch of the Ministry of Health and it was agreed that the communities
at the Home and the school (but particularly the former)
were probably at this time " saturated " with streptococci and that
the incidence of Scarlet Fever could be expected to diminish in the
near future. In the meantime, there were to be no new admissions.
The inspection of the children was arranged and all the young
children in the Nursery and all others with rhinitis were swabbed
—a total of 59. The results showed 12 of the persons swabbed to
be infected with Group A. Streptococci, of which, 6 were type 14
(including one patient recently discharged from the I.D. Hospital).
On the same day 6 of the patients in the I.D. Hospital admitted
from the Home or school were swabbed and out of 5 Group A
findings, 3 were type 14, which was evidently the epidemic strain.