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There were two outbreaks of food poisoning during the year
which were reported to the Ministry of Health in accordance with
their Memorandum 188 MED. Details of these two outbreaks are
as follows:—
Information was received in mid-March that following a dinner
held at a local hotel at least half of the hundred guests attending
suffered from stomach pains, sickness and diarrhoea.
Investigation was made and it was found that members of
the kitchen staff and a waitress had also eaten parts of the meal
and suffered the same symptoms. No samples of the meal
remained, but as all sufferers had eaten the prawn cocktail, the
batch number of the imported prawns was obtained and samples
of the same consignment were taken from the U.K. suppliers. These
were sent for analysis but no pathogenic organisms were isolated.
All the swabs taken proved to be negative and every case
quickly recovered with medical treatment.
The probable origin of the cause of this outbreak was not
definitely ascertained but at a later date a second outbreak
occured at this same hotel.
The second outbreak was reported at the end of August. On
investigation it was learned that at a wedding reception 112 had
sat down to a meal and at least 40 people had suffered from
diarrhoea and sickness. The average interval of onset was 16
hours and the severity was considered to be moderate.
Due to the dispersement of the guests it was only possible
to take a total of 20 swabs from guests and staff.
A portion of the turkey consumed at the reception was
available, and a sample of this was sent for bacteriological
examination. The result of this showed a varied bacterial flora
consisting mainly of aerobic spore bacilli and Gram Positive
cocci. Chlostridium Welchii was also isolated in a scanty
amount.
The results of faecal swabs taken showed 13 to be negative
but four guests and three staff had Chlostridium Welchii isolated.
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