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46
Three small outbreaks affecting a number of people were notified.
In the first case about 20 employees of a commercial firm in the City had
mild symptoms of food poisoning after consuming a meal in the staff
canteen but as a total of 350 had also had lunch at the same time it was
not possible to trace the cause. In no case was an affected employee
absent from work.
A second small outbreak occurred amongst the staff of a club canteen
in the City—12 persons being affected. This also was a mild attack and
was attributed to the consumption of soup prepared from stock the
previous day, but none was available for the bacteriological examination.
The third minor outbreak affected 14 persons out of a total of 23
forming a party who attended a theatre and afterwards dined in a
restaurant in the City. Following the examination of specimens obtained
from the patients the Medical Officer of Health of the district in which the
people resided came to the conclusion that there was no evidence of
bacterial food poisoning.
One outbreak of a more serious character was investigated in which
some 40 people were taken ill after partaking of a centenary luncheon
at a restaurant in Westminster at which 1,000 people were present. Three
of the number affected subsequently died but following the inquests two
were returned as having died from natural causes and one from the effects
of food poisoning. Details of this outbreak will no doubt be dealt with by
the Medical Officer of Health for the District in which the affected persons
resided.
A very thorough investigation was made and samples of all foodstuffs
still available were submitted to the bacteriologist together with specimens
of faeces, &c., from food handlers at the restaurant, but no pathogenic
organisms were isolated. It was a significant fact that there was something
left of every single article of food served at the lunch and the resident
staff of 35 partook of this food for their evening meal without any detrimental
effect. Despite the very full investigations made, including those
by the Medical Officers of Health in the districts were some of the food was
manufactured, no causal agent was identified.
Rat and Mice Repression.
Complaints received 1,365
Visits made 17,123
Inspections by the Rodent Officer 1,350
Inspections by Sanitary Inspectors 102
Notices served 324
Rodents Destroyed.
Black rats 6,499
Brown rats 1,807
Mice 1,450
9,756
324 Notices were served on owners or occupiers under the provisions
of the Rats and Mice (Destruction) Act, 1919.