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made-up meats were the vehicles of infection in over two-thirds of the
outbreaks traced to a specific food.
" The problem of food poisoning is becoming chiefly a problem of
salmonella infection. Egg products, certain types of meat, some animal
foodstuffs and fertilisers have frequently been found contaminated. The
search for sources of contamination must continue and when found must
be rigidly controlled.
" There still remain, however, a large proportion (41 per cent.) of
outbreaks and cases of food poisoning in which none of the known
food-poisoning organisms can be demonstrated. This is doubtless due in
some measure to imperfect investigation, but the possibility that other
organisms play a part in the genesis of food poisoning must not be
overlooked."
As to the origin of the organisms, some are already on the meat
while it is in the abattoir itself; for instance, CI. Welchii was found in
raw meat in the abattoir in twenty-four per cent, of samples of meat, in
twenty per cent, of pork and in fourteen per cent, of veal. 5. typhimurium
occurs in animals, especially in pigs, and has been recovered after slaughter
in the liver, spleen and mesenteric glands. There is always the risk of
cross infection in slaughterhouses. One report says: " The moral of this
part of the report is that the control of food poisoning caused by meat
does not rest entirely in the kitchen but should begin in the abattoir and
on the farm."
ERYSIPELAS
This disease although now of very little public health significance is
still notifiable.
The last year was again one of light incidence, there being only 14
cases, only two being of males. In all but four of the patients, the face
was the affected site. The cases were evenly distributed throughout the
year.
Two of the patients were admitted to hospital. None of the cases
was fatal.
MENINGOCOCCAL INFECTION
Six persons were notified in this last year to be suffering from
meningococcal infection, an adult male in March, two girls in April, a
baby in May, a boy of two in October and another of the same age in
December. Infection in the fatal case was not contracted locally.
ENCEPHALITIS
This condition might occur primarily, but more often occurs as a
complication to a number of infections such as measles, mumps and
chicken pox. During the year six cases of the post-infective condition
were diagnosed in those admitted to hospital, all secondary to mumps.
ACUTE ANTERIOR POLIOMYELITIS
1957 proved to be a year of low prevalence of poliomyelitis in the
Wntry as a whole. In the earlier part of the summer the notifications
were at a somewhat higher level than usual, largely due to groupings of