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Welchii was fairly clear. This outbreak of food poisoning followed a meal in
a factory canteen. Eighteen people fell ill during the following evening and
night. It was not possible to obtain any of the food eaten at the meal (on
August 2nd), but the Manageress was found to be infected and she stated that she
had herself had symptoms at about 6 p.m. on August 3rd. The most probable means
of infection was via the roast lamb which has been cut up and boiled in a stock
previously prepared. The boiling took place on 1st August. The lamb had
remained in a large pan in the pantry covered with a cloth until the morning of
2nd August, when it was reheated for service at lunch beginning 12 noon. Between
12 and 2.30 p.m. the stew was being kept hot on a hot plate, and those who suffered
illness had obtained their meal at 12.30 p.m. or later. The Manageress
herself ate at 2.30 p.m. and her symptoms started earlier than anyone else's,
between 6 and 7 p.m. Similar outbreaks occurred in the same canteen in June
1959, and on that occasion also the Manageress had been found to be infected.
The organism was Clostridium Welchii in each case, but type 5 in the first outbreak
and type 4 in the second.