X1000306-1975-76_Part01 — Page 6

II.

COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

The total number of notifications of communicable diseases during 1975 vas 12,355. Tuberculosis comprised 66.3 per cent of the total.

Cholera

The incidence of major infectious diseases is shown in Figure 3.

Cholera has not been reported since October 1969. Routine sampling of nightsoil for cholera vibrio was continued on a year-round basis as part of the surveillance programme, with no positive isolations reported. Emphasis was placed on the importance of personal, environmental and food hygiene as safeguards rather than on mass immunization.

Poliomyelitis

It was the second year in muccession since 1948 when the disease first became notifiable that no case had been reported. The maximan mumber of cases ever recorded in one year was 363 with 52 deaths in the year 1962. This represents another triumph of meticulous planning and years of hard work by the staff of the Department. It is indeed a comforting thought that hundreds of healthy young people living to-day have been saved from the sorrow of having to struggle through life with a permanent disability.

Approximately 95 per cent of infants received one dose of type I polio-vaccine after birth and 87 per cent received two doses of trivalent vaccine at 3-6 months at government maternal and child health centres, Virological investigation failed to detect any excretor of wild poliovirus among 584 stool samples studied.

Bacillary Dysentery

The number of cases slightly increased from 316 in 1974 to 397 in 1975. 28 per cent of cases occurred in children under five. A total of 124 carriers were detected during investigation.

Diphtheria

This was the first year with no reported case of diphtheria, as compared with 2087 cases in 1959.

Malaria

recorded.

Measles

No indigenous infection was reported but 21 imported cases vere

A total of 138 notifications and 2 deaths was reported. Measles is most prevalent among children under five years and the pattern of infection is characteristically biennial. Immunization compaigns were conducted twice in the year to reduce the incidence of infection. notifications reported in the past years are shown in Figure 4.

The

Influenza

The

Two outbreaks of influenza vere observed during the year. first outbreak in April-June with peak incidence in May was caused by the influenza virus A/Victoria/3/75. The second outbreak was due to the influenza virus B/Hong Kong/5/72 and occurred in July-Üctober.

Viral Hepatitis

Most cases

A total of 1,761 cases with 43 deaths was notified. were among adolescents and young adults and a higher proportion was found among men. Viral hepatitis shows a cyclic peak every third year and 1975 Sav an upsurge of cases reported.

III.

HEALTH SERVICES

Tuberculosis and Chest Service

There was a gratifying fall in the tuberculosis death rate from 22.9 of 1974 to 14.9 per 100,000 population. The notification rate dropped from 196 in 1974 to 188 per 100,000 population in 1975. Figures 5 and 6 show the mortality and notification rates by age and sex. Tuberculosis is now rare under the age of 15.

Attendances at government chest clinics remained at the high level of 1,301,297. Intermittent streptomycin and high dosage of INAH have in the majority of cases replaced the monthly issues of PAS/INAH tablets as the follow-up treatment of choice. At the end of 1975, there were 4,108 cases on intermittent streptomycin and INAH compared with 799 on PAS/INAH.

During the year 98 per cent of the newborn were given BCG. Thais is probably the highest rate in the world. The decline in infant mortality From tuberculosis which resulted is shown in Figure 7.

Social Bygiene Service

The incidence of venereal diseases declined by 23 per cent compared with the previous year. Approximately $ per cent of the cases came from the teenage group. It is encouraging to note that there has not been any increase in the incidence of venereal diseases in the teenage group since 1971.

Only 0.62 per cent of all ante-natal cases shoved an initial positive serology. Of 257 positive cases referred from ante-natal clinics, 67 per cent were found to be suffering from syphilis.

Ney cases of leprosy identified and treated numbered 78, representing a rate of 1.8 per 100,000 population. Tuberculoid manifestations comprised 62 per cent. Leprosy patients who require hospitalisation are now treated in Lai Chi Iok Hospital.

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