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Only two small outbreaks of Shigella sonnei occurred, which were
fortunately contained in local areas.
The extension of jet travel, allowing many people to venture further
afield for annual holidays, increased the notification and consequent
investigation of contacts of typhoid and salmonella infections.
Exotic type animals being imported as pets for children are another
potential hazard to health with which the department was confronted.
Terrapins are from time to time known to excrete paratyphoid, and recently
Gerbils (desert rats) were thought to have been responsible for
a case of jaundice.
Cold roost chicken eaten at wedding receptions proved to cause
several different outbreaks of food poisoning. This shows what great
care should be taken when preparing foodstuffs, and how frozen poultry
must be thoroughly "thawed out" to allow sufficient heat penetration to
take place when being cooked.
Home Laundry
Service
Section 84 of the Public Health Act, 1936, enables the Local Authority
to provide a free service for the cleansing of articles so soiled as
to be insanitary and a danger to health, such as bedding and personal
clothing of aged and incontinent persons. By arrangement with the
Regional Hospital Board, these articles are cleansed weekly at the
Chadwell Heath Hospital laundry.
During 1969, 72 persons were assisted and 7,042 articles laundered.
Long Stay
Immigrants
All addresses notified by Port Health Authorities of the long stay
immigrants were visited, and when the person could be contacted they
were urged to register with a general medical practitioner, and an appointment
was arranged for them to have a chest X-ray where necessary.
333 Immigrants were visited during 1969.
57 visits were also made under The Public Health (Aircraft Amendment)
Regulations 1963, and The Public Health (Ships Amendment)
Regulations 1963 because of persons who were not in possession of a
valid international certificate of vaccination.