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Puerperal Pyrexia.
The Puerperal Pyrexia Regulations 1951 which came into operation on
1st August. 1951. replace Regulations previously in force, and modify the
definition of Puerperal Pyrexia.
164 cases were notified during the year (6 at home and 158 in North
Middlesex Hospital). Of this total 43 were Edmonton cases.
During 1954 120 cases were notified.
Food Poisoning.
Following the report of an outbreak of suspected food poisoning at a
local Engineering works in October. 1955, investigations were carried out at
the factory premises when 83 affected persons, who were still at work, the
canteen manager and staff were interviewed and details obtained as to the
dates and times of their symptoms and particulars of food eaten.
Articles of food from the preceding day's meal at the canteen were
sampled and forwarded to the Public Health Laboratory, Colindale, also the
canteen staff and some of the affected persons were asked to submit specimens
of faeces. Twenty-seven such specimens were examined and the bacteriological
reports on all the specimens showed " Pathogens and parasites not
found. No common organism found. Bact. Alkaligenes present in two
healthy persons."
Some 230 employees (approximately 10%) were affected, but it would
appear that the illness was due to a virus infection of unknown origin causing
an outbreak of " Winter Vomiting " or " Epidemic Nausea and Vomiting."
From the report on the bacteriological examination of the foodstuffs the
outbreak " pointed to an airborne rather than a foodborne infection."