In Germany, the last period of the Second World War and the following years were characterized by deficiencies of hygiene which had not occurred previously in Middle Europe during the 20th century. There were focuses of
typhus,
typhoid fever,
tuberculosis,
diphtheria,
scarlet fever, and
meningitis. Insufficiencies in the removal of faeces caused high incidences of
shigellosis,
hepatitis A, and
ascariasis. As a result of insufficient body care, many people were infested with fleas, lice and
scabies. The migration of large proportions of the population resulted in an increasing prevalence of
syphilis an
gonorrhea. As the population resettled, the first steps towards reorganization of public health could be done. The spread of
typhoid fever was controlled by
drinking-water disinfection with
chlorine, repair of sewage systems, and
patient isolation. The application of
DDT helped to reduce
scabies and
pediculosis, resulting in decreasing
typhus risks. During the first two decades after the war, there was a steady decrease of the incidence of
infectious diseases. The reconstruction of the towns resulted in improved housing conditions and a decreasing number of persons per housing area, reducing the intensity of physical contacts of the inhabitants with each other. The nutrition and clothing situation of the population improved, which, in addition to a general rise of the standards of hygiene, brought about an increase of the individual resistance to
infection. A further reduction of sporadic and epidemic outbreaks of
infectious diseases was achieved by the introduction of
chemotherapy and
antibiotics. Increasing prosperity was accompanied by new problems of hygiene.
Infectious diseases almost eradicated in West Germany, were imported by air travellers. Ten imported cases of
smallpox were reported between 1957 and 1972, eight of which originated from Southeast Asia.
Malaria, imported by German and foreign soldiers, had not been uncommon after the end of the war but had been easy to control by
insecticides and
antimalarials. As tourism expanded, a new wave of imported
malaria cases was reported. In West Germany there is, however, no more spread of the disease under present conditions,
cholera caused similar problems. The 1961
cholera epidemic started in Southeast Asia and caused minor outbreaks in Mediterranean countries like Italy and Spain. A significant spread of the disease throughout Europe was prevented by generally high standards of
drinking water and sewage treatment. Sporadic cases of
typhoid fever were imported from countries with low standards of hygiene.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)