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PNEUMONIA
Nino cases of acute primary or influenzal pneumonia were notified during the
year, compared with 13 in 1961 and 7 in 1960. The total number of deaths from all
forms of the disease during the year was 40 compared with 46 in 1961.
MEASLES
There were 122 cases notified during the year compared with 980 in 1961.
Generally speaking the measles was mild in type with little by way of complications
and no deaths. All the cases notified were treated at home.
WHOOPING COUGH
Only 7 cases of whooping cough were notified in 1962 compared with 27, 55,
5, 10 and 108 in the last five years. This is the second lowest number of
notifications received since whooping cough became notifiable in 1940. It is
most gratifying to see a fall in the number of cases of whooping cough as this
is one of the most serious of childhood illnesses and immunisation of all infants
against the disease is strongly recommended. Most babies are now immunised against
whooping cough with a triple antigen combining whooping cough, diphtheria and
tetanus and this treatment should be commenced by the third or fourth month.
FOOD POISONING
There was one confirmed case in a child of 22 months who was admitted to
hospital following temperature and diarrhoea over a period of three weeks. Stool
examination revealed that the child was infected with salmonella-typhi-murium.
Specimens examined from other members of the fanily were negative. The source
of the infection in this case was not discovered.
DIPHTHERIA
There were no cases. The present level of imnunisation is still below what
is aimed at, and every effort is made through propaganda and other means to remind
the public of the need for imnunisation. Throughout the country as a whole in
recent years, Diphtheria has become more conmon, and it is, therefore, more
important than ever that parents should have their children inmunised, and that
the initial protection should be given in the first year of life.
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