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SCARLET FEVER.
There were 59 cases of scarlet fever notified during 1957 compared
with 110 in 1956, 77 in 1955 and 49 in 1954. Eleven of the cases were
treated in hospital. The disease for a number of years has been mild
in character.
ACUTE ENCEPHALITIS.
One case occurred in a boy of 7 years who was admitted to hospital
and was diagnosed as suffering from acute encephalitis following an
attack of measles. The boy made a good recovery.
DYSENTERY.
Nine cases of dysentery were notified compared with 15 in 1956,
2 in 1955, 14 in 1954, and 19 in 1953. Two of the cases were children
in a residential nursery run by an outside Authority. Bacteriological
investigations were carried out in the case of all the children and staff
involving a total of 146 specimens being examined, and as a result 20
symptomless excreters were discovered. Arrangements were made for
these to be isolated in hospital, or in the nursery, or in the case of staff,
excluded from work, until such time as they were considered to be free
from infection. The presence of dysentery in a nursery can be a serious
matter and urgent action is necessary to prevent the rapid spread of
infection.
Another case occurred in a Wimbledon Maternity Hospital and
concerned a woman belonging to another district. This woman was
discharged from hospital apparently quite fit, following confinement,
but was re-admitted three days later and subsequently diagnosed as
suffering from Sonne dysentery. Stringent precautions were taken to
prevent the spread of infection, the probable source of which was from
the woman's home. No further cases were reported from the hospital.
The 6 remaining cases occurred singly in various parts of the
Borough and were unrelated to each other.
POLIOMYELITIS.
There were 10 confirmed cases of poliomyelitis during the year.
The first 3 cases notified occurred in the latter part of June and concerned
two boys aged 11 and 9 years and a girl of 6 years, all members
of one family. The two boys were admitted to hospital on 26th June
and the girl on 28th June. On 29th June the boy of 9 years died of
the Bulbar type of poliomyelitis. The other two children recovered.
It is clear that the infection in each case was contracted from a
family living outside the Borough who visited the Wimbledon family
early in June before proceeding to France on holiday. This family
had been ill when they visited the Wimbledon family, but as they
thought they had all recovered they went on holiday to France where
the baby died of poliomyelitis.
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