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9
PREVALENCE OF AND CONTROL OVER
INFECTIOUS AND OTHER DISEASES.
SCARLET FEVER.
There was a marked increase in the number of scarlet
fever cases. One hundred and eighty-five cases were notified
during the year, a rate of 4.89 per 1,000 population.
One hundred and thirty cases were treated in hospital
and fifty-five at home. A comparison of home treatment
with hospital shows that where the home conditions are
satisfactory there is no relative increase in the number of
secondary cases in the former group, and in view of the
prevailing mildness of the disease an extension of home
treatment is to be encouraged. Mixed infection with
resulting complications in crowded hospital wards is a particular
danger which can be avoided by home isolation.
The percentage of "infecting cases" (i.e., a case giving
rise to another case within 28 days of discharge from
hospital or release from isolation) was 5.2 per cent, in
respect of hospital cases and nil in respect of home cases.
Among these " infecting cases " infective conditions of the
ear, nose or throat was evident in 85.5 per cent, after the
normal period of isolation.
Despite exhaustive inquiries as to the source of infection
in each case, only some 14 per cent, could be linked
with a definite preceding1 case from which the infection
presumably originated. This suggests that in most cases
infection is transmitted by carriers or by other types of
streptococcal disease and accounts for the relative inefficiency
of methods of control for this disease.
DIPHTHERIA.
Only one case of diphtheria was notified during the
year, giving a rate of 0.02 per 1,000 population, the lowest
ever recorded for the district.
The single case occurred in a schoolboy, age 12, who
had not been immunised, and unfortunately proved fatal.