View report page

food poisoning in each household during the previous month. Out
of approximately 90 families visited, no less than 15 families produced
evidence to show that such signs or symptoms had occurred in
one or more members of the family during the period in question.
There was no reason to believe that the inhabitants of this particular
road were more affected than those of any other road in Southgate.
If, therefore, the information produced by this short survey can be
regarded as typical, it would certainly appear that there is much
more gastro-intestinal infection than ever shows itself in recorded
returns.
An interesting outbreak of food poisoning occurred in Garfield
Road School during the autumn of 1947. This involved 45 children,
and was the subject of several reports to the Ministry of Health. The
presumptive cause of the outbreak was tinned salmon, although this
was never definitely proved. The Central Public Health Laboratory,
which was most helpful in investigating the outbreak, isolated an
unusual type of organism from the stools of several of the individuals
affected. All the patients made a satisfactory recovery, without
incident. The final report on the outbreak appears as Appendix 3 to
this report.
The steps which are being taken to promote a better standard
of hygiene among canteen workers and cafe staffs have already been
mentioned (see page 37). Although no statistical evidence is
available, I am coming more and more to the opinion that the use
of small cafes in which the method of food preparation, cooking and
washing up leaves much to be desired, is a fruitful source of food
poisoning. We have therefore decided to inaugurate a special drive
to improve existing conditions, and to promote a better knowledge
of a subject which very intimately affects the welfare of every member
of the community.
52