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58
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Details of Infectious and contagious diseases notified In 1972 were as
follows: -
Anthrax Nil
Cholera Nil
Diphtheria Nil
Dysentery 57
Encephalitis (acute) 1
Ehteric (Typhoid or Paratyphoid
fever) Nil
Pood Poisoning 86
Infective Jaundice 56
Leptospirosis Nil
Malaria 6
Measles 281
Meningitis (acute) 1
Opthalmia Neonatorum 2
Plague Nil
Poliomyelitis (acute) Nil
Scarlet Fever 45
Smallpox Nil
Tetanus Nil
Tuberculosis 129
Typhus Fever Nil
Whooping 8
Yellow Fever Nil
Tuberculosis
The number of notifications of primary Tuberculosis was three fewer
than last year.
The number of the Department's Tuberculosis register at the beginning
of the year was 1,408. After adding primary notifications and transfers in,
subtracting deaths, transfers out and recovered cases, the number on the
register fell to 1,341 by the end of the year. Pulmonary Tuberculosis
accounted for 1,070 cases and Non-Pulmonary Tuberculosis 271 cases.
Six cases of Malaria were notified, all in immigrants. There were no
cases of Typhoid or paratyphoid fever.
There was no significant difference in the notifications of infectious
and contagious diseases compared with the previous year, except that once
again the number of cases of Measles fell to almost half that of the previous
year, which again reflects the effectiveness of Measles vaccination.
The other figure which showed a marked difference with that of 1971
was for Whooping Cough, which dropped from 59 to 8, the smallest number of
cases ever recorded in the Borough.
Sexually Transmit ted Diseases
Screening for Gonorrhoea
The taking of specimens for screening for Gonorrhoea using a technique
which is superior and which has superseded the old, was instituted in cervical
cytology and family planning clinics in March. This is only done in cases
where the medical officer considers there is a possibility of Gonorrhoea
having been contracted, and the woman concerned Is advised of the purpose
of the test. It was possible to secure the services of Hackney Hospital
pathology laboratory for the supply of materials and the screening of swabs
and smears.