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Further details of these outbreaks are as under :—
1. This outbreak occurred at a hospital ; rabbit which was prepared on one day
was not all consumed and was re-heated and served again the following day.
The rabbit was found to be infected with Staphylococcus Aureus, CoagulasePositive,
and the same organism was recovered from an infected finger-nail-bed
of one of the kitchen staff. It therefore appears probable that in the course
of food handling by this particular member of the staff, the organism was
transferred from the infected finger to the food, and the organisms increased
by the time the food was served to an extent whereby food poisoning symptoms
were caused.
2. This outbreak occurred in an Institution in the Borough, but it was not possible
to identify any particular organism, either from the patients, or from food
samples of items consumed shortly before the outbreak.
3 & 4. These were School outbreaks at two Schools, the mid-day meal for both
of them being prepared in the kitchens of one School only. The organism
responsible was thought to be Clostridium Welchii, which may be present in
connection with meat, or meat preparations, and the food course thought to
be responsible was Irish stew.
5 & 6. This outbreak occurred in children and staff of two other Schools, where
again the mid-day meal was prepared at one of them. The outbreak was
probably of Staphylococcal origin, Coagulase-Positive. These germs were found
in considerable numbers in the milk pudding, but organisms may also have been
present in the meat pudding which was served as the first course, of which,
unfortunately, no samples were available.
7. The organisms could not be identified in this case, which was an outbreak in
a small hospital in the Borough, but the suspected item of food consumed was
sausages.