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15
Enteric
Fever
Imported infectious disease is becoming very common.
The only case of paratyphoid occurring in the borough was a
direct importation from Spain by a holiday maker. This single
Redbridge incident is being repeated all over the country and
the total cases of typhoid and paratyphoid contracted in this
way must be quite large. It cannot be stressed too hard, therethere,
that travellers to the Continent should have T.A.B.
vaccine in good time before going. The vaccine is not one
hundred per cent effective but provides a high measure of
protection.
Smallpox
Typhoid and paratyphoid are serious enough as imported
infections either by the traveller as in our Redbridge case or
by corned beef as in Aberdeen but the real danger lies in
smallpox which every so often is imported from India and
Pakistan. We are perhaps lucky in this respect in having only
a small colony of Indians in Redbridge and so the risks are
smaller than in the heavy woollen districts of Yorkshire where
large numbers of Indians and Pakistanis have settled and
where there is a regular traffic of passengers between the
countries. However, if the range of travel of holiday makers
extends very much further, there are parts of the Near East,
such as Turkey and Egypt where the risk of smallpox is much
higher than in Europe. Travellers to the Near East and to the
Balkans should therefore ensure that they have a successful
vaccination or revaccination before setting out.
Venereal
Disease
It is not possible this year to give details of the incidence
of venereal disease in the borough. As Redbridge is now a
Local Health Authority some method must be found of obtaining
details of the incidence. As returns are only required to be
made to the Local Health Authority in which the treatment
centre is situated a true picture can only be arrived at by
full co-operation of other authorities. In the Appendix 2 are
shown the figures from the Eastern Hospital, Queen Mary's
Hospital and the Albert Dock Hospital. These represent only
a partial figure because there are many other treatment centres
in London. No conclusions can, or should be drawn from the
statistics shown. Methods of more accurate reporting are under
consideration in Greater London.
Tuberculosis
The national figures for tuberculosis over the past 20
years make interesting reading. The steady fall in incidence
pays tribute to B.C.G. vaccination, better housing, better
nutrition, and unobtrusive work by the Ministry of Agriculture
in eliminating tuberculosis from dairy herds.