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FOOD POISONING
There were 85 notifications of suspected food poisoning during the year.
52 of these occurred in outbreaks, 33 as single cases. There were three outbreaks
due to the Bacillus (Clostridium) Welchii and one due to Staphylococcal
infection, and a further four to Salmonella infections. I will comment on
only two of these, the CI. Welchii infection at a long stay hospital and a
family outbreak due to Staphylococcal infection.
CI. Welchii Outbreak at Local Hospital
On 10th March, the Medical Officer of a local long stay hospital notified
me by telephone that he had 20 patients suffering from diarrhoea. The first
patient had started to feel ill about 8 p.m. on Sunday, 9th March, and similar
symptons had appeared in the other patients through the night. None of the
patients suffering from diarrhoea, as it happened, had gone out for a meal on
a Saturday or Sunday* (Most of the patients at this hospital are not seriously
disabled by their chronic illness).
It was discovered that for lunch on Sunday, 9th March, the patients had had
roast pork which had been cooked on Saturday. Hie roast pork had been kept in
an ordinary meat safe during the interval of 20 to 24 hours. It had been warmed
up on a hot plate and then covered with a hot gravy. All the pork and gravy and
pork dripping had been used and none was available for examination.
Faeces specimens were obtained from all those affected and CI. Welchii were
found in four of the specimens. (CI. Welchii is a sporing bacillus and its
spores are resistant to heat). It is found quite frequently in the soil and in
the gut and flesh of domestic animals). A specimen of roast beef taken on 16th
December was found to be contaminated with Staphylococci but CI. Welchii was not
found. The cooking arrangements were reorganised and from then on all meat was
refrigerated and kept down to 31b. joints before cooking and eaten on the day it
was prepared. Arrangements were put in hand for the supply of pressure cookers.
There have been no further outbreaks at this hospital.
Family Staphylococcal Outbreak
In this outbreak the food at fault appeared to be cooked ham. The food
was cooked by the housewife on 30th August, 1958, and a portion was eaten by her
husband and son the same day. The remainder of the ham was stored under a
colander on top of the washing machine until Tuesday evening (2nd September).
The ham was then removed from the top of the washing machine and eaten by the
husband and son at about 10.15 p.m. Vomiting and blood-stained diarrhoea followed
in the small hours. Staphylococcus Aureus was isolated from the faeces of
the husband and son and from the ham. The housewife had discharging boils on
her hands and arms.
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