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TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1975
DECEMBER HEALTH REPORT
RISE IN INCIDENCE OF SCARLET FEVER
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HEALTH RETURNS FOR DECEMBER 1974 ISSUED TODAY BY THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT SHOW AN INCREASE IN THE INCIDENCE OF SCARLET FEVER.
IN NOVEMBER, REPORTED CASES OF THE DISEASE TOTALLED FIVE, BUT LAST MONTH, NOTIFICATIONS ROSE TO 53, BRINGING THE YEAR'S TOTAL TO 80. NO DEATHS FROM THE DISEASE OCCURED IN 1974.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID SCARLET FEVER NOTIFICATIONS DURING DECEMBER HAD BEEN MARKED DURING THE EARLY PART OF THE MONTH, BUT THE DISEASE WAS SOON BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL, WITH THE RESULT THAT ONLY THREE CASES WERE RECORDED BETWEEN DECEMBER 20 AND 31.
REPORTS OF AMOEBIASIS TOTALLED SEVEN, A RISE OF FOUR COMPARED WITH THE PREVIOUS MONTH. THE INCIDENCE OF BACILLARY DYSENTERY DROPPED FROM 41 TO 37, BUT CASES OF CHICKENPOX ROSE FROM 21 TO 47.
THERE WERE NEITHER REPORTS OF, NOR DEATHS FROM, CEREBROSPINAL MENINGITIS, DIPHTHERIA, TETANUS NEONATORUM, AND POLIOMYELITIS DURING THE MONTH.
TWO CASES OF MEASLES WERE REPORTED. 36 OF ENTERIC FEVER. 18 OF FOOD POISONING, 603 OF TUBERCULOSIS, 46 OF VIRAL HEPATITIS, AND FOUR OF TETANUS.
OF THE 80 DEATHS RECORDED DURING DECEMBER, 71 WERE CAUSED BY TUBERCULOSIS, THREE BY AMOEBIASIS, TWO BY LEPROSY, THREE BY TETANUS, AND ONE BY VIRAL HEPATITIS.
DURING THE MONTH, HONG KONG REMAINED FREE FROM CHOLERA AND OTHER QUARANTINABLE DISEASES.
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