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10
Ten were diagnosed as S.Typhimurium and one was a
staphylococcal infection.
This shows a decrease of 32 notifications from the
previous year's figure of 78, 15 of which were confirmed
by laboratory diagnosis.
This decrease to less than half the previous year's
number is most creditable to the Borough of Baling but it
should be remembered that Food Poisoning is essentially
preventible and I feel that the suggestions I made in a
previous report for the production of safe food cannot be
repeated too often.
"Food handlers should realise fully their responsibility
and should have a high standard of personal hygiene. Their
hands should be in a good condition and clean, their finger
nails should be short. clean overalls should be worn and
the hair covered with a cap. Minor illnesses should be
reported. Cuts should be treated and covered, Colds, run
ning ears or diarrhoeal illnesses should be "'stood off"
or watched carefully,
Firms should provide adequate facilities for their
employees for washing their hands. The importance of this,
especially after use of the toilet, should be emphasised
and notices to this effect displayed in lavatories.
Staff should be selected with care and those with a
history of enteric or any such illness should not be
chosen.
With regard to the technique of the kitchen, manual
handling of food should be avoided wherever possible.
Refrigeration is a keynote and wrappings and covers for
food on display are essential.
Reconstituted eggs, custard powders and so on should
not be kept in a warm place. The kitchen should be constructed
so that it is easily cleaned, ventilation and
lighting should be adequate and there should also be
adequate storage space."
The necessity for the above precautions has been fully
realised in the Borough and the steps taken by the Chief
Sanitary Inspector and his staff to achieve the desired
effect are mentioned in a later part of this report.
MALARIA.
One case of M.T. Malaria was notified in a man of 36
years who had just returned from the Gold Coast. He was