ENG-1952 — Page 139

SOCIAL SERVICES

initial aim of vaccinating all school children. Excellent progress was made with this work and very few school children remained to be vaccinated by December, 1952.

Year

Cases

Deaths

Case fatality rate

1946

2,801

1,818

64.9%

1947

4,855

1,863

38.4%

1948

6,279

1,961

31.2%

1949

7,510

2,611

34.7%

1950

9,067

3,263

36.0%

1951

13,886

4, 190

30.2%

1952

14,821

3,573

24.1%

(i) Malaria.

During 1952, there was a considerable increase in the number of cases of this disease, there being 1,010 cases with 46 deaths as compared with 526 cases and 35 deaths in the previous year. The increased incidence could not be taken to indicate inadequate control measures in the urban areas as in the majority of cases there was a history of exposure to infection in the New Territories, which are outside the controlled

areas.

(j) Rabies.

The recorded incidence of this infection, both in humans and in animals, was much the same as in the previous year. One human and 6 animal cases, all of which were fatal, were notified. The cases all occurred in the New Territories.

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