View report page

- 61 -
Outbreaks due to identified agents (2 outbreaks;
(a) The first outbreak involved two young children- The first
child, a girl aged nine months, fell ill with fairly severe diarrhoea, and
a few days later her sister, aged 2 years, had similar symptoms. Faecal
specimens were obtained from the sufferers and their parents; those from
the sufferers showed the presence of salmonella newport.
The Public Health Department first became aware of these cases
when the reports of the bacteriological examinations were received, and
by that time it was impossible to obtain clear evidence of a source of
infection. It seemed clear, however, that the first patient had
contracted the infection from some unknown source and passed it on to her
sister. Both children were treated at home and soon recovered.
(b) The second of these outbreaks involved three members of
a family of five persons. The first patient was a boy of 3 years of age
who suffered symptoms of diarrhoea, vomiting and fever. At intervals of
about five days, a brother aged 8 years and the father aged 47 years,
suffered similar symptoms. The whole family submitted faeces specimens
and those from the sufferers were reported positive for salmonella
typhi-murium.
The pattern of spread of the infection within this family was
fairly clear, but investigations did not reveal the source of infection
in the first patient.
Outbreaks of undiscovered cause (5 outbreaks)
(a) The first outbreak of this kind affected a mother aged
21 years and her two children aged 2 years and 8 months respectively. Only
the father remained well. The mother fell ill first with symptoms of
pain, slight diarrhoea and vomiting, severe headache and fever. Two days
later the children were similarly affected. Faeces specimens submitted
by all members of the family were reported negative.
Over a week elapsed between the date of onset and the notification
to the Public Health Department. The consequent lapse of time made it
impossible to detect any specific source of infection. The patients
quickly recovered with treatment from their own doctor.
(b) In this small outbreak, three persons were affected but
only two of them were Kensington residents. A woman aged 72 years, her
son aged 19 years and his fiancee aged 19 years from Mitcham fell ill with
severe symptoms of pain and diarrhoea twenty-four hours after eating a meal
in common at home in Kensington. Faeces specimens obtained from the
sufferers were reported negative.
From the investigations made at the home it was considered that
the vehicle of infection may have been a reheated steak pie eaten by all
the patients. Unfortunately, none of the food remained for bacteriological
examination. Although the faecal specimens were negative, the pattern of
the outbreak suggested an infection by a heat-resistant organism.
(c) In this outbreak, three cases, comprising a single family,
were notified as food poisoning. A woman aged 65 years was the first
sufferer with symptoms of diarrhoea, vomiting and fever. A day later her
grand-daughter aged 16 years suffered from milder symptoms, but twenty-four
hours later, the girl's mother, aged 38 years, suffered more severe symptoms.
Bacteriological examination of the patients' faeces, however, revealed
nothing.
Investigations showed no definite source of infection. The
patients quickly recovered from their illnesses.
(d) This outbreak involved only two persons out of a family
of five persons. The mother aged 35 years and a boy aged 5 years suffered