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35
Two outbreaks of dysentery occurred during the year, one at a
primary school and the other at a nearby residential nursery. At
the school investigation revealed 33 children to be infected and
in addition eight positive home contacts were identified. A
similar investigation at the nursery showed eleven children and
eight members of the staff to be suffering from dysentery and no
new admissions were therefore accepted for an appropriate period.
The fact that some of the children attending the school had
younger brothers or sisters suggested that the two episodes were
related.
The remaining 82 cases were single isolated incidents.
Food poisoning
One hundred and thirteen notified cases were investigated
during the year but, after bacteriological examination, only 49
cases were confirmed, four in a luncheon club, 24 in family outbreaks,
the remaining 21 being single unrelated cases.
The causative organisms of the 49 confirmed cases were of
the following types:-
Salmonella typhimurium 24
indiana 4
st.paul 4
bredeney 3
enteritidis 3
agona 2
manhattan 1
newport 1
osis 1
Stanley 1
virchow 1
Clostridium welchii 4
The four cases of Clostridium welchii food poisoning occurred
in an old people's luncheon club. Infected pork was found to be
the cause and investigation revealed that all the persons who ate
the pork developed similar symptoms. Unfortunately, one old
lady died.
Infective jaundice
Thirty-five cases occurred during the year compared with 25
cases in 1971.