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PREVALENCE OF, AND CONTROL OVER, INFECTIOUS
AND OTHER DISEASES
The number of infectious disease cases notified during 1960 was quite small, and
notifications were from scattered districts and also scattered throughout the year—
evidence of a good state of resistance, particularly of the child population and probably
a result of the beneficent wonderful summer weather of 1959. The only figure showing
any noticeable increase was that for dysentery, though the figure was not large, nor was
there any outbreak.
No cases of diphtheria were notified, and no cases of poliomyelitis.
Monthly Bulletins of Incidence of Infectious Disease
These bulletins were circulated monthly to all general practitioners in the Borough,
and, in addition to information with regard to infectious diseases occurring during the
previous month, any topical matter, or incident of mutual interest to general practitioners
and the Public Health Service, was also included.
Measles
Measles incidence was very slight during the year 1960. There were no deaths from
measles. The following table shows the trend of notifications during the past ten years.
Year No. of Cases Deaths
1951 1,129 -
1952 528 -
1953 931 1
1954 41 -
1955 1,329 -
1956 61 -
1957 674 1
1958 476 -
1959 674 -
1960 12 -
Poliomyelitis
No notifications of anterior poliomyelitis were received in 1960.
Vaccination against poliomyelitis, which is organised by Middlesex County Health
Department, continued throughout 1960, and details are as follows:—
Number of persons who had received two injections at any time
up to 31st December, 1960 15,850
Number of persons who received three injections during 1960 4,618
Number of persons who received two injections during 1960 2,783
Of those previously obtaining two injections, by the end of December, 13,295 had
received three injections. The giving of fourth injections was planned to start early
in 1961.
Influenza
Influenza was not a serious problem during 1960, and no deaths from this disease
were recorded.
Dysentery
Fifty-three notifications of dysentery were received in 1960. Although this is up
on the 1959 figure—the cases were all isolated or in family groups only—no outbreak
occurred. Of these, 31 were confirmed as caused by Shigella Sonnei, two as Shigella
Flexnerii. Two cases notified as suspected dysentery were subsequently confirmed as
Shigella Sonnei cases, and two notified as gastro-enteritis were subsequently confirmed
as Sonne Dysentery.
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