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Scarlet Fever
Not for many years was the incidence of scarlet fever so low as in
1934. The number of cases notified was 57 against 125 in the year before.
All were residents of the district. This provides an incidence rate of
0.92 per thousand population. The disease was of the same mild nature
as we have for so long come to know it and no deaths occurred.
More than half the total, viz: 30, were nursed at home. This exceeded
the percentage so nursed in the year before which was then the record
for domiciliary treatment. There is obviously no evidence that this
growing practice of avoiding hospitalisation has increased the risk of
spread in this infection. On the contrary, the elimination of the chances
of cross infection, which is an inseparable risk of multiple-bed wards, has
undoubtedly saved many contacts from this disease. Only in two
instances was there a second case in the same household.
Although mild in form, there is no reason to believe that the period
of infectivity is thereby reduced and parents frequently find it difficult
to maintain isolation in the home for an adequate length of time as most
children become virtually symptomless in a matter of days and find
confinement to one room very irksome.