Laboratory
151. The Bureau laboratory continued to carry out the routine identification and dissection of mosquitoes and field tests were conducted into the efficacy of various insecticides and the susceptibility of anophelines to them. Information on tests of insecticide resistance in adult mosquitoes was forwarded to the World Health Organization,
SOCIAL HYGIENE SERVICE
132. The Social Hygiene Service provides free facilities for the diagnosis and treatment of venereal disease and leprosy in thirteen centres in the urban districts and in five part-time centres in the New Territories. It operates the Wan Chai Hospital for female patients suffering from skin disease, and maintains a number of dermatological sessions in various clinics.
Venereal Diseases
153. The most disturbing feature of 1960 was a marked rise in the number of cases of primary and secondary syphilis presenting: this was due, in part, to the inability of four cases of the disease in its primary stage to identify their contacts. However, the number of cases presenting with syphilis in its later stages showed a further decline and no case of congenital syphilis was seen in a new-born infant for the first year on record,
154. The incidence of gonorrhoea and of lymphogranuloma venereum continued to decline, as did that of non-gonococcal urethritis. but chancroid showed an increase of one hundred and sixty nine per cent as compared to 1959. The annual incidences and trends in these diseases are shown in Appendix 7.
155. Penincillin remains the treatment of choice for both gonorrhoea. and syphilis, but the slightest sign of intolerance to the drug is followed by a change in therapy; in the case of syphilis, chloramphenicol is used as the alternative and in the case of gonorrhoea either chloramphenicol or streptomycin is exhibited. No death from anaphylactic shock was recorded.
156. Since 1959, the extent of venereal disease in prostitutes has been under investigation, and the results, detailed in Table 19 are of interest.
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TABLE 19
VENEREAL DISEASE IN PROSTITUTES
Year
No. of first attendances
Syphilis
1.086
952
692 (63.8) 613 (64.4)
No V.D. found Gonorrhoea Early
Carent 235 (21.6) 63 (5.8) 124 (13.0) 69 (7.2)
Late Latear
96 † 8.8) 146 (15.4)
1959
1960
Remarks:
Figures in brackets represent percentage of number of first attendances.
157. Many patients suffering from venereal disease do not appreciate the importance of prolonged treatment or of regular assessment after treatment has been completed. In each case where recommended attend- ance at a Social Hygiene Clinic is not observed, the patient is contact- ed by lalter and reminded of the necessity for further clinical examina- tion or treatment. If there is no response to such letters, visits are paid to the patients' homes by Social Hygiene Visitors, who also carry out epidemiological investigations into each new case of venereal disease reported.
Leprosy
158. Thirteen clinical sessions are held weekly in eight centres solely for leprosy patients, while two other sessions each week are held in conjunction with other social hygiene clinics; in addition, one session is devoted to the care of leprosy patients suffering from trophic ulcers. During the year, infectious cases numbering 124 were admitted to the Hei Ling Chau Leprosarium which is maintained by the Hong Kong Auxiliary of the Mission to Lepers; a very close liaison with this in- stitution, which is referred to in paras. 235-238 of this report, is maintained by the Social Hygiene Service.
159. For routine out-patient treatment at the Leprosy Clinics, dapsone remains the drug of choice and is administered orally or in- tramuscularly; if there is intolerance to dapsone, diphenyl thiourea is exhibited instead. In selected cases bi-weekly inunctions of ditophal are used, combined with routine systemic therapy, but results have not been promising and, in addition, there have been instances where a contact dermatitis has resulted.
160. Surgical rehabilitation of patients suffering from deformities and disfigurements is carried out at the Maxwell Memorial Hospital at the Hei Ling Chau Leprosarium; it is also provided in certain Govern-
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