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Encephalitis
Three cases of this disease were notified in 1964, two of which were subsequent to an
acute parotitis (mumps) infection.
Infective hepatitis
In January of 1964, it came to light that sporadic cases of infective hepatitis had been
occurring in the district for over two months. In view of the fact that a number of cases
were school children, medical practitioners were asked, although the disease was not
compulsorily notifiable, whether they would be good enough to give information on cases
occurring in their practice recently. The number of cases was significant, and in two of the
schools in the Borough there was evidence of infection in single classes, also in each of
these schools one of the teachers became seriously ill and was prevented from carrying
out duty for some months. Cases continued to occur in different parts of the district. A
member of the Medical Research Council was invited to attend to discuss the possible need
for immunisation with gamma globulin, but it was decided that the circumstances were
not suitable, since this protection is only really effective in a closed community, such as
boarding school or residential nursery.
Later, because of requests from individual teachers, a certain amount of immunisation
was given by the School Medical Department officers. Two deaths during the year were
attributed to infective hepatitis, one a female aged 62, and one a female infant aged 1 year
and ten months.
It was decided to approach the Minister of Health with a request that this disease
should be made compulsorily notifiable in Southall, and permission was given by special
Order, to take effect from the 1st October, 1964, for a period of three years.
From the date of operation of the Order until the end of the year, seven cases of this
disease were notified, two adults and five school children.
Tuberculosis
Notifications
Pulmonary
The number of notifications received during the year was 83.
Other Forms
The number of notifications received during the year was 15.
Of the total notifications, which include new cases and inward transfers from other
districts, 74 were received from the Uxbridge Chest Clinic; 7 from General Hospitals; 14
from St. Bernard's Hospital, and 3 from General Practitioners. The number of new notifications
fell from 102 in 1963 to 98 in 1964. Of the 98, 34 were inward transfers, i.e. they
were not resident in Southall at the time of development of the disease and, therefore,
the actual figure of new notifications of Southall residents was 64, four of which were
subsequently diagnosed as non-tuberculous; while in 1963 the number of inward transfers
was 37, making the figure for new notifications of Southall residents 65.
Deaths
Tuberculosis of the respiratory system, 3; other forms, nil.
For details of new cases notified and deaths in 1964, see Appendix, Table IX, and
for the occupation of new cases, see Appendix, Table X.
The notification figures did not rise in 1964, but the proportion of pulmonary cases
rose while that of non-pulmonary was reduced. Graph C shows the progress of notifications
and deaths since 1930. There were three deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis as compared
with three in 1963 and four in 1962.
18
Comparative figures for the last eight years for the occurrence of tuberculosis in
Indian residents of Southall follow on the next page.