Poliomyelitis in England and Wales, 1947-1950.

نویسنده

W J MARTIN

چکیده

Poliomyelitis has been endemic in England and Wales since its notification was made compulsory in 1912, but prior to 1947 its incidence was, with the exception of three years, of the nature of a sporadic disease with a seasonal rise rather than that of an epidemic disease. This was in contrast to the experience of the United States and some continental countries, where large epidemics had occurred periodically. On the other hand, the vagaries of the disease in England and Wales between the two wars presented some interesting and puzzling features. The fatality rate, i.e. the proportion of deaths to notified cases, varied greatly from year to year; for example, the notifications in 1926 were three times the 1925 level but the fatality rate only half. On the whole, the yearly deaths from poliomyelitis varied only slightly in number, and the concomitant large variations in the notifications would (if they can be accepted as accurate) suggest that the severity of the disease was changing from year to year. Similarly, the incidence of notifications increased more than the mortality during the seasonal period of greater prevalence. This was possibly due to an increased recognition of milder cases at the times when the disease was known to be most likely to occur. The Registrar-General, discussing this possibility, wrote: There is evidence that milder cases of the disease are often overlooked, its characteristic after-effects being met with in persons in whom the early stages of the disease have never been recognized.

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