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Public Health Inspector, as a result of which recommendations were
made for the improvement of the pupils' lavatory accommodation
and additional cleaning of the lavatories was carried out for a period.
The outbreak was not severe. The improvements recommended were
carried out.
In December there were a number of cases of sore throat in one
of the Authority's Day Nurseries and investigation revealed the presence
of a haemolytic streptococcal infection. Nose and throat swabs
were taken from all the children and staff at the Nursery and the
positive cases were referred to their family doctors for treatment. The
infection, being thus quickly contained, was short-lived.
Smallpox
Twenty-four persons arriving in the district without a valid
International Certificate of Vaccination were kept under surveillance
for the required period.
Food Poisoning
During the year there was one family outbreak, which was traced
to the reheating of a chicken meal. Five persons were affected. There
were also six single cases of food poisoning infection which could
not be ascribed to any particular source.
In June information was received of an outbreak of salmonella
oranienberg in a London maternity hospital in which 27 mothers
and babies from the Borough were involved as contacts. All were investigated
and all were found to be free from infection.
During the year a child who had been a carrier of salmonella
typhimurium for a year was treated with a new drug which cleared the
infection.
TUBERCULOSIS
Chest Clinics
There are three chest clinics serving the Borough. All are based
at Cumberland Hospital, Mitcham. At these clinics the Tuberculosis
Health Visitors assist the Chest Physicians, and help and advise the
patients. They do Mantoux tests and follow-up contacts and patients
who fail to attend. During 1968 the case load of Tuberculosis Health
Visitors was as follows:—
Cases of tuberculosis 572
Lung carcinoma cases 92
Other cases (bronchitis, bronchiectasis, etc.) 84