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SECTION F
INFECTIOUS DISEASES CONTROL
Enquiries were made into a complaint by a resident of Food
Poisoning from eating mussels purchased in Heme Bay. Samples of
the mussels and of faeces from the patient were submitted for bacteriological
examination and in both instances the results were negative.
The mussels had been obtained originally from a Danish Company
and had been bottled by the shopkeeper. The shop was inspected and
found satisfactory and there was no illness among staff, neither had
other cases been notified. Appreciation was expressed by the Health
Department at Heme Bay for the liaison between the two Departments.
In another instance Food Poisoning was probably due to a soup
which had been prepared from an oven-ready chicken. The soup had
been kept in the refrigerator over the weekend and then reheated on
two occasions the following week. Faeces examination of the household
were negative. A member of the household was withdrawn from food
handling as a member of the domestic staff of a local hospital.
In two other enquiries investigations revealed no definite cause.
In 7 out of 11 cases of Sonnie Dysentery notified faeces examinations
were positive. Faeces for contacts of other members of the
families were examined and in six cases were found to be positive.
Five cases of Meningococcal Infection were notified but in two
cases the diagnosis was not confirmed.
Seventeen cases of Scarlet Fever were notified compared with
14 cases last year. Sixteen cases were nursed at home. Permission was
given for a parent to continue his work as a warehouseman in a food
company, a kitchen assistant at a private school was excluded from
work for a week.
Surveillance of air passengers not in possession of a certificate of
vaccination against Smallpox and arriving from declared Smallpox
areas was carried out and three addresses were visited in one instance
the new address of a contact was forwarded to the Authority.
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