London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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West Ham 1948

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for West Ham]

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The family had been away at a holiday camp from 10th-17th July.
In spite of the most exhaustive enquiries the source of the infection was not traced.
Stool culture were repeatedly negative for all contacts although the husband and
mother gave Vi agglutination tests which were 1:40 and 1:50 respectively.
Case 2. M. aged 5 years was taken ill on 30th May and removed to hospital two days later.
She became very ill but eventually recovered. Salmonella typhi (phage type F.l.) was
recovered from the stool.
A woman living in the same house was a known "carrier" of typhoid and it is highly
probable that the infection passed from her to the child. Stool cultures from the "carrier*
were negative and it was ascertained that the culture was not phage typed when she was under
observation In hospital.
It Is difficult to understand why phage typing is not carried out in all cases when
this organism is cultured in hospital since It has proved so useful a means of tracing a
chain of infection.
PARATYPHOID FEVER. There was one case of this disease during the year®
PNEUMONIA. There were 215 notifications of pneumonia-primary and influenzalduring
the year as compared with 316 in 1947. Of these cases 115 were in males and 100
were in females. The case rate was 1.23 per 1,000 population.
The number of deaths from all forms was 63.
PUERPERAL PYREXIA. The number of eases during the year was 47 as compared with 54
in 1947.
OPHTHALMIA NEONATORUM. There were only 4 cases notified during the year; all were
mild.
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