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DIPHTHERIA
There were no cases to report.
DYSENTERY
There was a reduction in notifications from 199 in 1963 to 139 last year.
ERYSIPELAS
Seven cases were notified.
FOOD POISONING
Six individual cases were notified. The causative organism in four of these was
the staphylococcus, in one case salmonella typhimurium, and in the other case the
organism was not identified.
There was a large outbreak of food poisoning which originated at the West London
Shooting Grounds, Northolt, in April of this year. The Clay Pigeon Shooting
Association held their Annual Competition at this venue on Friday and Saturday,
24th/25th April. Approximately 350 people attended, of which some 200 were competitors.
These people stayed at various hotels in London and elsewhere. Catering
during the Competiton was carried out by a firm from Cheltenham who brought
their staff, equipment and food with them on the Thursday and Friday before the
meeting. Items of food served included — fresh salmon, cold turkey, chicken, beef,
ham, pork, salads, sausage rolls, trifle, cream, cakes, coffee, tea, and ice cream. From
the late afternoon onwards reports were received of persons who had attended the
meeting being taken ill with vomiting and later, diarrhoea.
Searching enquiries were made as to the food eaten and it appeared that the
article at fault may have been the salmon. The Medical Officer of Health of Cheltenham
Borough Council was contacted and investigations were made there. It was not
possible to examine remains of the food provided at the meeting but examination of
a similar salmon remaining in the hands of the caterers revealed that it was contaminated
by staphylococcus pyogenes.
Some 12 people were reported as having food poisoning and seven were admitted
to hospital.
It is likely that a large number of people were affected but not notified as cases of
food poisoning.
MALARIA
There were no cases.
MEASLES
Measles is still a troublesome illness which occurs in alternate years in large
numbers. 1964 was a year of expected low incidence and there were only 354 cases
compared with 2,072 in 1963.
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