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8. INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
The Public Health Inspectors made 1,116 enquiries and
revisits concerning the following notifications:-
Scarlet Fever 85
Food Poisoning 18
Sonne Dysentery 209
29 visits were made to smallpox contacts.
Approximately 1,000 of the above enquiries and revisits
were in respect of Sonne Dysentery, each case giving the Department
much work. Detailed investigations are made, advioe on preventive
hygiene is given to the households concerned, specimens are
submitted to the Pathological Laboratory at St. Margaret's
Hospital, Epping, and follow up specimens are taken until the
infection is shown to be cleared up.
9. RODENT CONTROL.
345 complaints of rats and mice infestations were received
and a total of 1,745 inspections and treatments was made.
Permanent baits are laid on known routes and the
District's sewers are also treated. In I960, 205 sewer manholes
were baited with Warfarin and there were only 20 'takes' of
poisoned bait. These figures are remarkably low and show a high
degree of control in the District. This is the result of the
excellent work of the Council's rodent operator, Mr, S. Mansfield
and Mr. M. Lee, Student Public Health Inspector, whose methods
and achievements are praised by the Divisional Pests Officer of
the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
The above staff also dealt with the majority of the 178
blocked drains, 124 insect infestations and 267 wasps nests reported
to the Department. The latter, occurring as they do in a relatively
short period, create an extreme pressure of work in those months
and further credit is due for the prompt attention which was paid
to these various complaints.
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