In the following week, the number of cases rose to 4,909. After August 16, the number of cases began to decline, and by the end of August, the incidence of the disease returned to normal.
42. The disease was of acute onset, causing redness and soreness of the eyes, and so became known locally as 'red eye'. It tended to spread among families and in public places such as swimming pools. Clinically the disease presented a picture suggestive of the adenovirus type of conjunctivitis. Laboratory examinations were carried out of conjunctival and throat swabs taken from patients. Preliminary findings suggested that the disease was of viral origin.
43. During the outbreak, the public were advised to observe the rules of personal hygiene, and wore informed of the possible danger of contracting the disease in swimming pools. At the same time, measures were stepped up to ensure that the filtration and chlorina- tion plants in swimming pools were working properly. The disease was self-limiting, and there was no evidence of further outbreaks after the peak was reached in August.
44. Developments in certain other communicable diseases are re- viewed later in this report. The remainder showed little variation during 1971, and require na comment.
HIL WORK OF THE HEALTH DIVISION
(Tables 21-46)
AREA HEALTH WORK
45. Much of the work of area health officers, apart from their duties with the Urban Services Department in the maintenance of satisfactory standards of environmental sanitation and food hygiene, has beco recounted in the preceding paragraphs on epidemiology. Such work included during the year not only field investigations into the major communicable diseases, but also the co-ordination of the activities of teams of inoculators participating in prophylactic immunization drives.
46. Four such drives were carried out, and reference has already been made to three, namely, poliomyelitis, measles and diphtheria (and in the latter campaign the vaccine used combined immunization against
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diphtheria with active anti-tetanus prophylaxis). The fourth, promoting smallpox vaccination, was held in February 1972. The increasing importance of Hong Kong in international travel by sea and air, and the prevalence of smallpox in nearby countries, underlined the need to maintain high level of community protection against the disease.
TUBERCULOSIS
(Tables 21-2)
47. Tuberculosis remained the major health problem in Hong Kong. The policy for control of the disease continued during the year to be to protect, by vaccination with B.C.G. the new-born. who were particularly vulnerable to the fulminating forms of the disease, and primary school entrants and school leavers who could develop active discase later in life. For actual cases of the disease, it was shown that in a large proportion of cases, out-patient therapy was at least as good as institutional treatment. It was gratifying to note that in complete contrast to the past, no waiting list for hospital admission for the treatment of tuberculosis was necessary in 1971, and a further 32 Luberculosis beds, making a total of 185 tuberculosis beds in the last two years, were made available for other uses. Institutional resources. still considerable, were reserved for those not responding to out-patient therapy, for acutely ill cases, for those where the diagnosis was in doubt, and for those in need of surgical intervention. In the execution of this policy, there was a high degree of co-operation between the Government and Voluntary Agencies concerned with the problem, particularly the Hong Kong Anti-Tuberculosis and Thoracic Diseases Association, the Haven of Hope Sanatorium, and the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals. The government chest service maintained the B.C.G. vaccination and out-patient treatment programme, while the Voluntary Agencies, aided by substantial government subventions, maintained most of the hospitals.
48. To keep pace with the rapid changes occurring in the fields of treatment and prevention of tuberculosis, close liaison was maintained with agencies outside Hong Kong. During the year, there was intense activity, in collaboration with the Medical Research Council of the United Kingdom, as to ways by which the treatment of tuberculosis could be made more efficient and cheaper as well as shortened. The study of
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