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Poliomyelitis.
The number of persons confirmed as suffering from acute
poliomyelitis during the year was four. All have made a good
recovery from their paralysis.
Some advance has been made in the knowledge of the
method of spread of the virus of poliomyelitis and the precautions
to be taken in the event of infection. It is known that
the virus is harboured in the nose, throat and intestines after
infection. It remains in these situations for several weeks. The
virus is spread mainly by person to person contact.
Much can be done to diminish the risk of infection by
scrupulous attention to personal hygiene—the use of a handkerchief
in coughing and sneezing, washing of the hands after using
the toilet and before eating or preparing food. Early and complete
rest in bed in suspicious cases has been shown to diminish
the danger of paralysis.
The risk of any person being permanently paralysed from
poliomyelitis is extremely slight. The great majority of confirmed
cases make a good, if not complete, recovery from their
illness.
I feel that the publication of these details may allay considerably
public anxiety in regard to this disease.
Dysentery.
Only one case of Dysentery occurred during 1948. Enquiries
failed to elicit the source of infection. Recovery was rapid.
Tuberculosis.
The number of new cases of tuberculosis, both pulmonary
and non-pulmonary, notified for 1948 was 49, a reduction of four
cases on the figures for 1947. In addition, 57 previously notified
cases of tuberculosis, pulmonary and non-pulmonary, moved
into the district during the year. A detailed analysis for the
year is given in the table on page 29.
There were 23 deaths from tuberculosis, during the year)
five of these had not been previously notified as suffering from
tuberculosis. The ratio of non-notified tuberculous deaths to
total tuberculous deaths is 1 to 4.6.
Food Poisoning:
No confirmed cases of food poisoning occurred during 1948.
Scabies.
No persons were in need of treatment during the year at the
Scabies Treatment Centre.
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