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Erysipelas
Two cases of this skin infection were notified in both of which the
face was affected. As mentioned in last year's report, this is an infection
which responds very successfully to modern chemotherapy and the
prompt exhibition of antibiotics or the sulphonamides, will almost certainly
abort what would otherwise be a much more extensive condition.
One case was an old lady inpatient of a local hospital who developed
her illness whilst under steroid therapy for rheumatoid arthritis. Both
cases recovered.
Pneumonia
Primary and Influenzal pneumonia are the only forms of this illness
which are notifiable. They are inevitably more prevalent during influenza
epidemics and during winter weather when respiratory infections are
commonest. They can largely be regarded as an index to the prevalence
at any time of acute respiratory disease. The winter months of 1960 were
unusually mild and in consequence the number of notifications fell to the
very low figure of 8, only one of which was stated to be in respect of
influenza. An interesting feature was that half of the cases were young
adults between the ages of 23 and 36. When pneumonia is particularly
prevalent, specially during flu epidemics, the brunt of the infection usually
falls on the very old and the very young.
Measles
A low incidence of measles in 1960 could have been predicted almost
with certainty. In keeping with its biennial nature in Greater London,
prevalence, after a marked epidemic in 1959, fell to the astonishingly low
figure of 67 cases, which is the lowest since 1944. This total is less than
the number notified on many occasions in one week during epidemic
times. Most of the cases occurred in the last quarter of the year and
were a prelude to the anticipated epidemic of 1961.