Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 30 Jan 1946

Vol. 99 No. 1

Written Answers. - Infectious Diseases.

General Mulcahy

asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he will state in respect of each county health district for each of the years 1934 to 1944 inclusive: (a) the total number of persons immunised against diphtheria; (b) the total number of cases of diphtheria occurring.

Mr. MacEntee

Following is the reply:—

TOTAL NUMBER OF PERSONS IMMUNISED AGAINST DIPHTHERIA IN EACH COUNTY HEALTH DISTRICT FOR EACH OF THE YEARS 1936 TO 1944

County	1936*	1937*	1938	1939	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944
Carlow	623	241	Nil	Nil	Nil	1,828	2,000	170	329
Cavan	5,830	Nil	Nil	Nil	446	968	11,562	24	33
Clare	Nil	Nil	3,807	Nil	1,190	514	1,487	3,971	1,341
Cork	2,743	2,290	2,112	1,811	1,503	2,258	5,273	4,774	3,092
Donegal	Nil	4,528	3,107	1,186	2,480	Nil	Nil	5,548	3,575
Dublin	726	38	5,075	Nil	Nil	6	670	4,213	1,479
Galway	1,167	Nil	42	Nil	618	428	329	1,627	2,428
Kerry	2,796	89	497	558	Nil	794	4,838	6,721	3,457
Kildare	1,212	369	196	Nil	Nil	4,276	307	1,689	1,437
Kilkenny	6,856	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	5	42	3,000	1,366
Laoighis	4,755	464	71	24	51	2,554	838	1,020	549
Leitrim	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	1,957	8,317	Nil	6,421	330
Limerick	2,129	Nil	1,344	499	221	573	987	904	711
Longford	Nil	118	2,797	852	42	2,357	333	346	466
Louth	Nil	Nil	5	4	6	Nil	30	667	3,559
Mayo	2,401	Nil	Nil	6,100	1,850	1,335	9,141	1,912	3,153
Meath	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	9,763	Nil	19	2,255
Monaghan	4,899	Nil	Nil	515	164	451	1,156	2,091	3,117
Offaly	Nil	462	547	196	221	404	349	456	639
Roscommon	5,147	395	Nil	1,018	543	9,421	Nil	46	79
Sligo	Nil	Nil	Nil	1,003	1,293	Nil	238	4,485	1,226
Tipperary N.R.	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	661	182	644	5,321	1,872
Tipperary S.R.	822	595	923	169	Nil	1,409	1,753	4,713	1,278
Waterford	1,866	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	1,452	2,713
Westmeath	434	123	116	15	1,321	4,045	143	475	769
Wexford	1,610	2,756	743	403	530	2,336	1,301	479	1,449
Wicklow	109	90	122	Nil	363	4,422	378	438	849
TOTALS	46,125	12,558	21,504	14,353	15,460	58,646	43,799	62,982	43,551

* Separate figures for County Health Districts are not available for these years. The figures shown relate to counties. Statistics for the years prior to 1936 are not available.

TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES OF DIPHTHERIA OCCURRING IN EACH COUNTY HEALTH DISTRICT FOR EACH OF THE YEARS 1934 TO 1944 INCLUSIVE.

County Health District	1934	1935	1936	1937	1938	1939	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944
Carlow	11	38	28	12	8	5	11	8	24	18	102
Cavan	29	32	28	11	9	10	1	2	7	7	61
Clare	103	79	58	43	67	21	25	11	61	78	123
Cork	94	114	74	115	73	50	73	52	213	276	247
Donegal	73	71	32	77	57	55	30	28	41	210	313
Dublin	159	115	70	115	87	76	103	111	190	232	243
Galway	126	90	108	104	80	78	32	16	37	132	116
Kerry	65	95	50	47	78	41	52	63	193	113	108
Kildare	46	70	51	66	52	38	41	18	27	95	110
Kilkenny	18	43	44	38	42	24	28	31	11	39	83
Laoighis	46	77	57	69	102	15	19	17	12	144	150
Leitrim	13	8	16	18	15	4	35	7	6	1	6
Limerick	108	80	155	97	79	64	30	45	87	222	132
Longford	3	8	48	13	16	10	4	15	3	30	3
Louth	13	33	25	12	26	3	15	1	32	51	20
Mayo	82	45	38	25	19	49	11	3	3	13	19
Meath	32	27	10	21	20	17	10	15	9	37	74
Monaghan	90	28	36	14	22	47	10	8	30	71	138
Offaly	25	27	6	41	32	24	14	30	13	54	66
Roscommon	79	103	84	32	39	57	48	16	11	22	47
Sligo	1	11	9	22	30	6	11	11	9	20	55
Tipperary, N.R.	16	18	58	87	107	54	34	18	55	61	106
Tipperary, S.R.	61	16	14	15	12	1	8	24	19	47	50
Waterford	16	22	11	22	12	11	5	4	14	11	23
Westmeath	57	119	52	34	79	23	39	18	10	37	44
Wexford	9	19	52	29	78	31	48	33	60	51	70
Wicklow	27	15	21	12	33	7	25	16	14	40	102
TOTALS	1,402	1,403	1,235	1,191	1,274	821	762	621	1,191	2,112	2,611

General Mulcahy

asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he will state in respect of each county health district for each of the years 1940 to 1944 inclusive: (1) the number of cases of (a) diphtheria; (b) scarlatina; (c) whooping-cough; (d) measles; (e) typhoid; (2) the numbers of each such cases treated in hospital, and (3) the total number of fever hospital beds.

Mr. MacEntee

The particulars are set out in the following statements:—

(1) STATEMENT SHOWING CASES OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES NOTIFIED IN EACH COUNTY HEALTH DISTRICT DURING THE YEARS 1940-1944.

COUNTY	TYPHOID	DIPHTHERIA	SCARLET FEVER	MEASLES	WHOOPING COUGH
1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944
Carlow	Nil	1	Nil	2	Nil	11	8	24	18	102	19	7	2	7	13	—	2	69	16	6	—	1	7	24	1
Cavan	10	5	9	23	24	1	2	7	7	61	10	4	4	29	32	—	11	15	64	33	—	64	16	12	3
Clare	11	6	26	9	14	25	11	61	78	123	22	12	35	27	33	—	9	5	6	188	—	11	67	151	269
Cork	5	20	9	14	26	73	52	213	276	247	334	274	273	169	82	—	70	47	9	305	—	12	88	154	69
Donegal	9	16	14	6	24	30	28	41	210	313	63	64	56	34	58	—	2	21	16	45	—	27	12	16	2
Dublin	1	2	1	3	17	103	111	190	232	243	113	108	179	91	45	—	54	214	91	528	—	66	77	38	25
Galway	10	32	24	19	14	32	16	37	132	116	73	10	41	28	24	—	21	6	92	56	—	51	60	61	9
Kerry	20	10	73	53	18	52	63	193	113	108	56	124	103	53	46	—	74	63	3	38	—	2	3	109	5
Kildare	2	Nil	1	15	6	41	18	27	95	110	19	22	34	34	4	—	41	25	83	71	—	3	93	23	Nil
Kilkenny	2	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	28	31	11	39	83	53	25	67	79	26	—	3	20	67	36	—	—	65	4	8
Laoighis	12	2	8	2	3	19	17	12	144	150	18	73	32	84	17	—	49	181	2	15	—	18	185	5	3
Leitrim	3	3	3	9	1	35	7	6	1	6	6	Nil	12	5	5	—	Nil	1	2	Nil	—	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
Limerick	13	3	8	23	32	30	45	87	222	132	20	63	78	104	104	—	7	13	2	62	—	9	3	6	9
Longford	Nil	2	10	16	3	4	15	3	30	3	6	21	15	6	7	—	19	13	1	2	—	1	1	Nil	Nil
Louth	Nil	1	3	4	2	15	1	32	51	20	20	10	14	14	45	—	1	Nil	2	21	—	8	3	1	Nil
Mayo	5	1	13	20	7	11	3	3	13	19	31	55	19	32	32	—	35	107	64	232	—	119	71	20	63
Meath	2	3	Nil	4	11	10	15	9	37	74	30	43	36	20	6	—	2	28	16	50	—	2	25	30	13
Monaghan	2	1	18	7	6	10	8	30	71	138	18	17	106	54	15	—	8	12	3	14	—	1	10	1	14
Offaly	3	13	7	2	Nil	14	30	13	54	66	75	14	61	33	3	—	9	18	Nil	8	—	9	10	5	2
Roscommon	9	16	27	15	8	48	16	11	22	47	20	7	26	13	37	—	1	16	7	146	—	Nil	16	16	2
Sligo	3	Nil	5	19	3	11	11	9	20	55	7	4	4	4	7	—	1	22	12	23	—	1	16	54	1
Tipp., N.R.	Nil	1	1	5	36	34	18	55	61	106	41	20	35	65	30	—	6	Nil	Nil	22	—	4	Nil	7	12
Tipp., S.R.	4	2	2	8	5	8	24	19	47	50	10	49	16	8	24	—	49	Nil	Nil	36	—	25	15	8	2
Waterford	Nil	8	7	4	2	5	4	14	11	23	75	49	48	54	15	—	87	Nil	Nil	6	—	44	4	12	14
Westmeath	3	1	3	11	3	39	18	10	37	44	13	26	9	23	21	—	35	210	46	69	—	1	51	32	11
Wexford	3	4	13	2	Nil	48	33	60	51	70	43	25	26	25	37	—	1	262	27	227	—	7	33	140	5
Wicklow	Nil	4	5	5	8	25	16	14	40	102	39	10	21	26	13	—	6	35	2	59	—	10	5	1	26
TOTALS	132	157	290	300	273	762	621	1,191	2,112	2,611	1,234	1,136	1,352	1,121	781	—	603	1,403	633	2,298	—	496	936	930	654

Measles and Whooping Cough were not notiflable prior to the 1st July, 1941, the date on which the Public Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulations, 194 1, became operative. Under these Regulations a medical practitioner is not required to notify a case of measles or whooping-cough occurring in a family if a previous case has oc curred in the family and has to his knowledge been notified within the preceding period of two months.

(2) There is no information in the Department showing the number of cases of Diphtheria, Scarlet Fever, Whooping-cough, Measles, or Typhoid treated in district institutions.

(3) Separate statistics regarding bed accommodation are not available in respect of County Health Districts. The following figures which relate to the year 1941 give the number of beds for fever cases in local authority institutions in each Public Assistance District:

	No. of beds
Carlow	32
Cavan	50
Clare	46
Cork (North)	79
Cork (South)	104
Cork (West)	53
Donegal	68
Rathdown	43
Dublin	148
Galway	63
Kerry	111
Kildare	42
Kilkenny	42
Laoighis	44
Leitrim	29
Limerick	37
Limerick Co. Boro.'	57
Longford	32
Louth	59
Mayo	74
Meath	32
Monaghan	72
Offaly	27
Roscommon	26
Sligo	40
Tipperary, N.R.	26
Tipperary, S.R.	44
Waterford	107
Westmeath	60
Wexford	63
Wicklow	25
Total	1,735

The number of beds for fever cases in these institutions has been substantially the same since 1941 except in the case of Dublin where the number increased from 148 in 1941 to 301 in 1944. Accommodation in Cork Street Fever Hospital, Dublin or in other institutions not under the control of local authorities is not included in the return. Additional alternative accommodation for about twice the existing number of fever beds is being provided in Wicklow at present.