[Report 1966] / Medical Officer of Health, Harlow U.D.C.

  • Harlow (England). Urban District Council.
Date:
1966
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1966] / Medical Officer of Health, Harlow U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    17/60 (page 15)
    There were eight deaths as a result of motor vhicle accidents. Sixty deaths were reported to the Coroner either by a hospital or a general practitioner. The circumstances are given below: Reason Reported by hospital Reported by G.P. Sudden death 20 24 Accidental death 14 — Suicide 1 i COMMENTS ON COMMUNICABLE DISEASES AND FOOD POISONING The year under review was free from serious outbreaks of infectious diseases and there were also fewer sporadic cases of the common fevers. Notifications according to age group and incidence rate per 10,000 population are shown on page 39 All the 15 cases of food poisoning were due to salmonella, mainly S. typhimurium, but there were also cases of salmonellae not often found in this district, viz: S. liverpool 2 S. kiambu 2 S. heidelberg 1 S. enteritidis 1 The Pathology Laboratory at Princess Alexandra Hospital and the Public Health Laboratory at Chelmsford again gave invaluable assistance with the examination of specimens, both for diagnostic and preventive purposes. Mention must be made here of scabies which although not a notifiable disease is, nevertheless, contagious and troublesome. The number of cases has increased considerably throughout the country as well as in Harlow and the reason for this high prevalence is not fully understood. Since the disease is not notifiable its exact incidence in Harlow is not known, but most general practitioners are seeing many more patients than in past years. In accordance with regulations in force, persons who arrive in this country from an area where there is smallpox and who cannot produce evidence of recent vaccination, should be placed under surveillance. Information about them is usually received from air and seaport authorities but at times it arrives too late i.e. after the incubation period of the disease or when the person concerned has already moved to another unknown destination. In one particular instance no fewer than six calls were made at the address given without finding anybody in. Tuberculosis The incidence rate of newly notified cases was 0.4 per 1000 population for respiratory and 0.04 for other forms of tuberculosis — almost the same as in the previous year. The highest incidence, 11 out of 29 cases, was in the age group 45 - 60 years. There were no deaths attributable directly to tuberculosis. The Mass Radiography Unit again visited the town in June and 5,133 persons availed themselves of this diagnostic screening. Only one case of tuberculosis requiring immediate treatment was found and this in the course of a survey of the factory population. There was also one case of cancer of the lung. Other details of the mass radiography survey are given on page 41.