Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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FOOD POISONING
The Food and Drugs Act, 1955, requires any medical practitioner,
on becoming aware that a person is suffering or is suspected to be
suffering from food poisoning, to notify the Medical Officer of Health.
The following table gives a summary of all cases (notified or not) brought to notice during 1963:-
Food poisoning notifications (corrected) | |
First quarter | 4 |
Second quarter | |
Third quarter | 14 |
Fourth | 7 |
Total: | 31 |
Cases otherwise ascertained | Nil |
Fatal cases | Nil |
Particulars of outbreaks:-
No. of outbreaks | No. of cases | Total cases | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Family-Outbreaks | Other Outbreaks | Notified | Otherwise Ascertained | |||
Agent unidentified | 3 | - | 10 | - | 10 |
Single cases:-
No. of cases | Total | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Notified | Otherwise ascertained | cases | ||
Agent identified | 7 | - | 7 | |
Agent unidentified | 14 | - | 14 |
Outbreaks due to unidentified agent (3 outbreaks)
In the first case a family of four persons were affected
with the same symptoms - pain, diarrhoea, headache and vomiting.
Onset varied over a period of 5½ hours following the evening meal
which consisted of meat pie (re-heated) and frozen vegetables.
Faeces specimens taken proved negative.
In the second case, a family of three persons were affected,
all of whom had shared a tin of salmon and suffered diarrhoea,
headache, etc. The fourth member of the family did not eat any salmon
and remained well. Two tins of salmon of the same brand were submitted
for analysis, but the results were negative.
In the third outbreak, a doctor and two young sons were ill
after eating a meal of minced meat, potatoes and carrots; within one
minute all experienced flushing, tingling and burning of face, ears
and hands, with a feeling of faintness. This lasted about fifty
minutes and then ceased. Samples of the minced meat were forwarded
to the Public Analyst and were found to have been dusted with an
additive powder (Evered).