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Infectious Diseases and Food Poisoning. In a circular from the Ministry of Health a
recommendation was put forward that instead of the different types of notification forms
formerly used for different kinds of infectious disease, a comprehensive form should be
used, to include tuberculosis, food poisoning, puerperal pyrexia and poliomyelitis. It was
suggested that the use of this form should be brought into practice at a reasonably early date.
The scheduled type of form was obtained and issued to general practitioners.
Monthly Bulletins on Incidence of Infectious Disease
Following requests from certain of the general practitioners for regular information to
be supplied concerning the state of the community with regard to infectious diseases, a
circular letter went to all doctors, offering a monthly bulletin to contain up-to-date statistics
and details of particular cases and problems, requesting that those who wished the service
should reply accordingly. A very satisfactory reply was obtained, many of the doctors
writing in, either to agree or suggest additions to the information to be circulated, and
Bulletins have been prepared regularly since the month of March.
Sonne Dysentery
On the 12th February, 1951, notification was received of two cases of Food Poisoning
and bacteriological analyses of the stools revealed Sonne dysentery infection. The patients
were both children and in the same class at a Junior school. As both patients had had school
dinners and the parents stated that other children in the school had been ill, enquiries were
made and it was found that a number of other children were suffering from symptoms
suggestive of dysentery. Arrangements were made for the investigation of feces specimens
from these children and a certain proportion were found to be positive Sonne dysentery.
Fairly large numbers of notifications of this disease had previously been appearing in weekly
returns in other parts of the country and although it had been stated by some medical
authorities that the elimination of Sonne dysentery carriers was probably impossible to
achieve, it was decided that every effort should be made to reduce the risk of spreading of
infection. Strict hygienic precautions were taken within schools and a supply of individual
paper towels for the children's hand washing was arranged by the Education Officer. Class
teachers and welfare assistants supervised the children in the cloakrooms to as far an extent
as possible considering the over-crowded conditions of the school, and any children showing
symptoms of sickness or diarrhoea, however mild, were excluded until they should be proved
clear on the bacteriological report. Faeces specimens were taken from canteen workers,
and all positive Sonne cases were referred to their private practitioners for treatment. The
sanitary inspectors visited the homes of all cases and contacts and arranged for a weekly
submission of feces specimens. No child found to be Sonne positive was allowed to return
to school until two negative specimens had been obtained. The kitchen staff were required
to have 3 negative specimens before they were allowed to resume work. Individual cases
occurring in other schools were dealt with in the same manner.
In all, 1,205 visits were paid by the sanitary inspectors over the whole of the Borough,
and 274 persons tested, of whom 248 were positive, and we were able to consider the incident
closed at the end of July as all carriers and contacts had by that time returned the required
number of negative specimens. In all, 1,850 feces specimens were examined, a few
persistent carriers requiring up to 11 specimens to be analysed before they could be certified
as free from infection. All specimen results were notified in writing to the patient, and to
the private practitioners concerned.
Measles
There was again a heavy incidence of measles in the district during 1951, following
a sharp rise in notifications towards the latter end of 1950. The number of cases notified
was 1,129, compared with 701 in 1950. The measles figures for the past few years are
shown below for comparison with the 1951 figures. There were no deaths from measles
and the type of case was mild. It is noteworthy that the incidence in 1951 was the greatest
since measles became a notifiable disease.
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