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ACUTE POLIOMYELITIS. In accordance with regulations made by the Minister of Health,
this heading now includes patients previously notified as suffering from acute polio
encephalitis. Since January 1st, 1950. all cases of infection by the virus of poliomyelitis
have been notified and recorded under the main heading of Acute Poliomyelitis.
Each case is subsequently classified as paralytic or non-paralytic as determined by the
progress of the disease.
Thirty cases occurred during the year as compared with 39 (acute poliomyelitis
and polio encephalitis) in 1949. The case rate was 0.17 per 1,000 of the population. There
were 3 severe paralytic cases and one of these died, eight cases showed a moderate degree
of paralysis and in a further 4 this symptom was slight. Fifteen cases, half of those
diagnosed, showed no paralysis.
The apparent increase in abortive cases, compared with 1949 when less than one third
of the cases notified showed no paralysis, may indicate a lowered virulence of the infecting
organism, but a more likely explanation is that increasing familiarity with the disease is
leading doctors to diagnose and notify the condition in the early febrile pre-paralytic
stage. It is in this stage that most can be done by prompt treatment and good nursing, to
prevent the onset of paralysis or to minimise its severity.
Two cases occurred early in the year and should be properly considered as belonging
to the 1949 epidemic.
The 1950 epidemic started in June when three cases occurred, and reached its peak
in July (10 cases). There were 8 cases in August, 4 in September, and 2 in October. A
further solitary case occurred in December. Although the epidemic started earlier this
year than in 1949, it followed a similar pattern, showing a rapid rise to its peak followed
by a slow subsidence over a period of several months. Since no particular area of the
Borough showed any concentration of cases, it was not possible to establish the route by
which infection was spread. When the disease is prevalent, however, there are many cases
in which the patient has only trivial symptoms comparable with those of a common cold. Such
patients often do not cease work or seek medical advice and may, therefore, be responsible
for infecting others who develop the more serious form of the disease. Unfortunately there
is at present no practicable method of detecting these mild cases or healthy members of the
public who may carry the organisms in the nose, throat or bowel without themselves suffering
any inconvenience.

DIPHTHERIA. It is pleasing to report that there were only 4 cases of this disease
during the year. The case rate was 0.02 per 1,000 of the total population. This remarkably
low figure was, however, marred by the fact that one of the patients, a child aged 1 year, died.
WHOOPING COUGH. During I95O there were 817 cases of this disease - males 362 and
females 455. The case rate was 4.73 per 1,000 of the population.
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