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13
Investigation at a national level is directed towards the
Increase in whooping cough incidence and the department has
been co-operating with the Public Health Laboratory Service
in the collection of specimens.
Tuberculosis
55 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis and 6 of non-pulmonary
tuberculosis were notified during the year. In 1966 figures were
68 and 6 respectively. Appendix 2 gives the statistics relating
to tuberculosis.
Asian
Immigrants
In August a special effort was made to persuade Asian
immigrants to attend for mass radiography. A mobile radiography
unit visited three sites in the borough on three different dates.
Of the 537 adults invited 259 attended, 55 of these after a
second invitation. 7 persons were referred for further treatment
and of these 2 were found to have pulmonary tuberculosis
needing treatment and 2 needed occasional supervision. ThoBe
who did not attend for X-ray are buing followed up.
In addition to the mass X-ray campaign 361 Asian children
up to school leaving age were visited and Heaf tested. 256 of
this number were given B.C.G. vaccination and 75 were
referred for further investigation. B.C.G. vaccination is alao
given before discharge from hospital to Asian babies born in
Ilford Maternity Hospital and Barking Hospital.
Close contact is maintained with the Education Department
on recent arrivals in the borough of Asian children and the
children and the families are offered the opportunity of chest
X-ray or Heaf testing. Notification of some adult Immigrants is
made also by port and airport authorities.
Venereal
Disease
Hypothermia
in the Elderly
Nine treatment centres in London sent returns of Redbridge
residents treated compared with five last year. Accordingly the
number of cases known rose to 11 of syphilis and 83 of
gonorrhoea. The figures are incomplete and no firm conclusions
can be drawn from them. However, It appears that there is a
rise in the incidence of gonorrhoea and non-specific venereal
conditions. This is particularly evident in the figures from the
London Hospital which deals with most Redbridge patients
(1966 figures shown in brackets):— syphilis 9 (8), gonorrhoea
67 (39), other conditions 447 (313).
Non-Infectious Disease
In the first 3 months of 1967, a pilot survey on hypothermia
in the elderly was carried out in the Ilford part of the borough.