[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hounslow].

  • Hounslow (London, England). Council.
Date:
[1969?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: [Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hounslow]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    22/129 (page 20)
    1967 Eight of these cases were under the age of one year and three of these were aged 2 months and one was aged 3 months Vaccination records show that 36 of the fifty-four notified cases under the age of six years had been immunised in infancy Measles This was the non- epidemic year for measles and 466 cases were notified compared with 1 535 cases in 1967 and 893 cases in 1966 AIthough measles is now very rarely lethal in Britain it remains a distressing infection with potentially serious complica tions in about 7% of patients The introduc tion of vaccination against measles in May should be of real benefit to children and it is hoped that the disease can be eradicated F urther reference to measles vaccination is made in the section on vaccination and immunisation (see page 22 ) Dysentery There were 109 cases compared with 16 cases in 1967 and of these 100 were notified during the first quarter There was only one outbreak of any significance and this occurred at a primary school where 53 cases occurred amongst pupils and 38 amongst their family contacts Food poisoning Although 54 cases of suspected food poisoning were notified, after full investigation only twelve cases were confirmed The causative organisms were as follows: salmonella typhlmurium (2), salmonella bredeney (1) salmonella drypool (3), salmonella enteritidis (4) and salmonella montevideo (2) One other salmonella infection (not food borne) was also identified Of the 41 remaining cases notified (26 sporadic and 15 cases in 4 families) all laboratory investigations proved negative Enteric fevers Typhoid fever There was one case and the patient contracted the infection abroad 2.0 Paratyphoid fever A case of paratyphoid B phage-type Battersea occurred in a neighbouring borough The source of infection was said to be a terrapin which had been bought some two years previously Informa tion was received that a family resident in this 3orough were contacts and on investigation it was found that two members of this family were also excreting paratyphoid 3 phage-type Battersea They were sympton-free at the time but there was a history of mild diarrhœa and vomitting for a few days some two months previously This family also kept two terrapins which they had purchased six months previously from an unidentified trader in a street market These two terrapins were frequently taken to the household of the relatives in the neighbouring borough and it was probable that they introduced the infection Unfortunately it was not possible to carry out any tests on the local terrapins as one had died and the other had been destroyed immediately suspicion was aroused All local pet shops were visited and samples of aquarium water containing terrapin faeces examined, but all proved negative Infective Jaundice This disease became notifiable from 15th June 1968 and 29 cases were notified. This department is undertaking a joint study of virus hepatitis with consultant physicians at the West Middlesex Hospital, the physician to the Infectious Diseases Unit at South Middlesex Hospital and with the co-operation of the family doctors Patients are given a clinical examination and vene-puncture during the early stage of their illness The changes in the immuno globulin fractions of the serum proteins are studied to assist with the early diagnosis and prognosis of the disease The patient and his family are warned of the dangers of this condition in connection with blood donation If the patient or his immediate household contacts are blood donors the National Blood Transfusion Service are notified so that the patient s name can be deleted from their panels and call-up of close contacts deferred Medical Arrangements for Long-Stay Immigrants Long-stay immigrants are asked to give their