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extent from year to year Persons travelling overseas may be required to produce
evidence of recent vaccination against smallpox or inoculation against yellow fever,
cholera and typhoid fever Such certificates require to be endorsed by the Medical
Officer of Health and during the year 648 were so endorsed.
INCIDENCE OP NOTIFIABLE DISEASE The number of cases notified during the year
is shown in Table VI and the trend of infectious diseases during the last 20 years
in Table VII.
SMALLPOX No case of smallpox occurred in the Borough during 1960. Persons
arriving in the Borough from parts of the world where smallpox is prevalent, are
kept under observation till any chance of their developing the disease is over.
According to the returns 734 children under the age of one year were vaccinated
in 1960 as compared with 759 in 1959. Modern travel is such that the risk of importing
smallpox is ever present.
SCARLET FEVER. This disease was much less prevalent - 70 cases notified as
compared with 235 in the previous year. This disease continued to be mild in character.
DIPHTHERIA. The Borough's freedom from diphtheria was maintained during the
year. The number of children under the age of one year who were immunised during
1960 was 1,021 as compared with 897 in 1959.
ERYSIPELAS. The number of notifications was 8 but no death was due to this
disease.
PNEUMONIA Notifications of pneumonia were 18 as compared with 47 in 1959.
Of the total pneumonia deaths 72 per cent occurred at age 65 and over.
MENINGOCOCCAL INFECTION One case was notified during the year.
ACUTE ENCEPHALITIS. One notification was received and the patient made a
good recovery.
POST INFECTIVE ENCEPHALITIS. Encephalitis is known to occur as a complication
of other infectious diseases, but no such case was notified during 1960.
POLIOMYELITIS. No case occurred during the year.
Inoculation against poliomyelitis was continued during the year, and 4,446
persons were given two injections of vaccine. During the year third injections were
given to 7,716 persons Experience has shown that reactions, local or general, to
these inoculations are comparatively rare.
TYPHOID FEVER No case of typhoid fever was notified during the year.
PARATYPHOID FEVER One notification was received during the year. The patient,
not a Borough resident was in West Middlesex Hospital at the time of diagnosis.
DYSENTERY. This disease shows great variations in prevalence from year to year
and from place to place. During the year 126 cases were notified, as compared with 42
in 1959. A group of 32 cases occurred in a hostel for homeless families.
The infection in all cases was of the Sonne type and the illness was mild in
practically every case. The mildness of the illness is such that medical advice is
not always sought, and unless the disease is kept constantly in mind, cases are likely
to be missed.
TUBERCULOSIS. During the year 48 notifications of pulmonary tuberculosis, and
6 notifications of non-pulmonary tuberculosis were received Persons continue to be
certified as dying from tuberculosis who have not been notified during life, but it is
hoped that with the improved facilities for diagnosis and treatment now available, any
reluctance to seek investigation and treatment will disappear
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