[Report 1934] / Medical Officer of Health, Portsmouth Borough.

  • Portsmouth (England). Borough Council.
Date:
1934
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1934] / Medical Officer of Health, Portsmouth Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    PREVALENCE OF, AND CONTROL OVER, INFECTIOUS AND OTHER DISEASES. The outstanding features of the year under review were :— [a) the high incidence of scarlet fever with a low case mortality ; [h) an increase in the case mortality of diphtheria ; and [c] a small outbreak of infantile paralysis. SCARLET FEVER.—The number of cases notified during 1934 was 1,349, the highest since 1921. This high incidence appears to have been general in the surrounding districts and was associated with a corresponding high incidence of erysipelas and puerperal sepsis, doubtless explainable by the fact that scarlet fever, erysipelas and puerperal sepsis are manifestations of different strains of the same micro-organism, i.e. the streptococcus haemolyticus. Table XIV, giving the number of notifications in respect of each of the three diseases during the past 10 years, clearly indicates this relationship. The high attack rate of scarlet fever, which occurs periodically in this country, is related to the fact that every few years a fresh batch of children have grown up into the susceptible age groups. From Table XVII it will be seen that the incidence rate was uniformly maintained throughout the year. Small outbreaks occurred in a few schools, but prompt measures were taken and in no case did the outbreak assume epidemic form. In one hospital, where a few cases were discovered, immediate investigation followed by the removal of cases to Hospital, the isolation of contacts, and passive immunisation by scarlet fever anti-toxim entirely prevented the spread of infection. It is pleasing to note that with such a high incidence of scarlet fever there were only 10 deaths, equivalent to a case mortality of 0.74 as compared with 1.1 last year, attributable })artly to the new serum treatment carried out at the Infectious Diseases Hospital.
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