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11
PREVALENCE AND CONTROL OF INFECTIOUS AND
CONTAGIOUS DISEASES
The following diseases are compulsorily notifiable in Hackney:-
Anthrax
Acute Encephalitis
Acute Influenzal Pneumonia
Acute Primary Pneumonia
Acute Poliomyelitis
Cholera
Continued Fever
Diphtheria (or Membranous Croup)
Dysentery
Paratyphoid Fever )
Typhoid Fever ) Enteric Fever
Erysipelas
Glanders
Hydrophobia
Malaria
Measles
Ophthalmia Neonatorum
Plague
Puerperal Pyrexia
Relapsing Fever
Scabies
Scarlet Fever (or Scarlatina)
Smallpox
Tuberculosis
Typhus Fever
Whooping Cough
Food Poisoning (or suspected
Food Poisoning)
Meningococcal Infection (formerly Meningococcal Meningitis: Cerebrospinal
Fever: Cerebro-spinal Meningitis)
The total number of cases of infectious and contagious diseases notified
was 2,835, Measles accounting for 61.6 per cent, of the notifications received,
SCARLET FEVER. The 392 cases of this disease were an increase of 76 over
the previous year: 125 cases were treated in hospital. There was no particular
seasonal incidence and the disease appears to have been of the mild type.
The treatment at home of the type of Scarlet Fever now prevalent does not
appear to result in spread of the infection to other members of the family or
to neighbours.
DIPHTHERIA. Five persons were admitted to hospital as suspected cases but
Diphtheria was not confirmed and I am glad to report that, for the second year
in succession, no case of Diphtheria occurred in the Borough. Details of the
five suspected cases, with the revised diagnoses are as follows:-
Male, aged 3 years Streptococcal tonsillitis.
Female, aged 18 years do.
Female, aged 16 years do.
Female, aged 30 years Acute pharyngitis, with mixed organisms.
Female, aged 54 years Broncho pneumonia due to Uraemia due to
acute Nephritis (died within five days).
The absence of this distressing and fatal disease is a wonderful tribute
to the measures which have been taken over the last twenty-five years, and
there is little doubt that the immunisation campaign is responsible for the
present happy state of affairs. It is to be hoped that nothing will hinder
the continued progress of this great advance in preventive medicine.
POLIOMYELITIS (INFANTILE PARALYSIS). This potentially fatal and
crippling disease is becoming more prevalent throughout the whole world and
this country is no exception. Unfortunately, our knowledge regarding the
true nature and method of spread of the virus responsible is limited. It
would appear that the infection is widespread but only a relatively small prPortion
of infected persons are clinically recognisable: some cases present
Paralytic symptoms but many do not. Sporadic cases occur at all times and
epidemics occur at irregular intervals with the highest incidence in the
summer and early autumn. Certain forms of the disease are particularly
dangerous and may rapidly produce fatal results.