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3.1.2 With air travel being now no more costly than sea or land travel, a large proportion
of immigrants arrive at the main London airport and many stay, perhaps temporarily, in
Camden. When persons coming from a part of the world where smallpox is endemic are
unable to produce a valid certificate of vaccination, or refuse vaccination for one reason
or another, airport health control notifies the Health Department and the immigrants are
kept under surveillance for the necessary period.
3.1.3 In the vast majority of cases the effectiveness of the control of infectious
disease depends on the skill of the general practitioner in diagnosis, and on his readiness
to communicate his findings. It is only when a case of infectious disease is notified
that it is possible to try to track down the source of infection, to isolate the patient to
prevent further spread, and to find persons who have been in contact and if possible
protect them by immunisation. Information on the vaccination and immunisation service
including the numbers immunised by general practitioners, is given in the section of
this report dealing with the personal health services under the heading "Prophylaxis".
3.1.4 In addition to the Council's service, which is mainly for children up to school
leaving age, and the service which general practitioners provide, arrangements have
been continued for special immunisations which are normally required only by persons
travelling abroad. Vaccination against yellow fever is available at the Hospital for
Tropical Diseases (see the separate paragraph in this report headed "Prophylaxis").
Vaccination against cholera is also available at this hospital. Anthrax vaccination is
available through the Council's service for persons who are engaged in work dealing
with imported animal hides and hair. There are two firms in the borough dealing with
animal hides, and both employ their own doctor for the vaccination of their staff.
3.1.5 With effect from 1st October, 1968, the Public Health (Infectious Diseases)
Regulations consolidated (with amendments) all previous regulations relating to the
notification and prevention of infectious disease. Acute primary pneumonia acute infective
pneumonia, erysipelas, membranous croup, and puerperal pyrexia are no longer notifiable
whilst leptospirosis, tetanus, and yellow fever have become notifiable for the first
time. Infective jaundice had already been made notifiable from 15th June, 1968.
3.1.6 Infectious diseases now required to be notified by the medical practitioner to
the Medical Officer of Health are:-
anthrax leptospirosis smallpox
cholera malaria tetanus
diphtheria measles tuberculosis
dysentery paratyphoid fever (all forms)
(amoebic or bacillarj plague typhoid fever
encephalitis poliomelytis, acute typhus fever
food poisoning or relapsing fever meningitis,acute
suspected food scarlet fever ophthalmia neonatorum
poisoning
yellow fever whooping cough
infective jaundice
leprosy
3.1.7 As from 1st October, 1968, the fee paid to medical practitioners for each
notification of infectious disease was increased to 5 shillings. The fee is payable to
all medical practitioners except those serving in H.M. Forces.
INCIDENCE OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE
3.2.1 The summary of infectious disease in Table 3 includes diseases notifiable
up to 1st October, 1968, and those newly notifiable from that date.
DYSENTERY
3.2.2.1 Most of the 122 cases notified in 1968, as with the 58 notified in 1967, were
caused by Shigella sonnei. A further 65 individuals were diagnosed as carriers (21 in
1967) as a result of faecal specimens taken from contacts, and details of 39 confirmed
cases (55 in 1967) were received from hospitals and from other boroughs.
3.2.2.2 In 1967, 2 fresh incidents occurred in Council day nurseries; in 1968 there
were incidents in Council day nurseries, one in a Children's Department residential
home, one in a Welfare Department homeless families unit, and two in local schools.
Details follow:-
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