[Report 1954] / Medical Officer of Health, Denbighshire County Council.

  • Denbighshire (Wales). County Council. no2004062613.
Date:
1954
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1954] / Medical Officer of Health, Denbighshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    67/88 (page 67)
    PART IV Environmental Hygiene PREVALENCE OF, AND CONTROL OVER, INFECTIOUS AND OTHER DISEASES i Influenza. Towards the end of 1954 an influenza epidemic affected the ; schoolchildren of the County. The outbreak first affected the 1 western part of the County atound Colwyn Bay about the 15th October, 1954, from where it spread steadily east, reaching the Wrexham district at about Christmas-time. In response to a request from the Virus Reference Laboratory, the course of the epidemic was plotted by obtaining from schools the attendance figures from the beginning of the term, and sub- sequently to submit percentage returns to the County Health Office only when attendances fell below 80%. Several head teachers enclosed with the statistical return explanatory notes which further assisted in plotting accurately the course of the epidemic. The first indication of a school being affected was a gradual fall in attendance to 80%, which was then followed by a dramatic fall tc:i as low as 33% attendance, with a subsequent gradual return to normal as the epidemic passed on. The primary infection wave afflicted the 7-11 year age group, but usually there followed a secondary wave which had a predeliction for the infants and senior pupils. The disease started with naso-pharyngeal or gastro- intestinal symptoms, accompanied by a high temperature, with some photophobia. Temperature afterwards fell by lysis, leaving the child with lassitude and weakness for a week or so. Fortun- ately, no deaths occurred in school children attributable to this disease. Warnings were given to head teachers of the impending spread of the epidemic, which, in several instances, enabled suit- able adjustments to be made in the school curriculum. Further- more, being able to predict the advance of the epidemic permit- ted the Health Department to mobilise its forces. Prior arrange- ments were made for a reserve of District Nurses and Home Helps to be available for the area afflicted. These services were fully committed when the epidemic was at its peak but all de- mands were met, which ap])reciably relieved the strain on the Hospital Service. 67 I ■ I I i