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37
Outbreak No. 4.—8 cases, 544 meals served. Pains and sickness
3-4 hours after mid-day meal. Specimens submitted—
(a) Canned Pilchards. (b) Fish-cake.
Result (a) All cultures sterile.
(b) Very scanty gram positive cocci seen singly and in
pairs.
Very scanty growth of Staphylococcus albus.
Outbreak No. 5.—4 cases, 2,000 meals served. Four sick 10-18
hours after mid-day meal. No food available when reported.
One case was reported where 12 or 13 hours after eating at
a Restaurant the patient experienced severe pains and sickness.
Some hundreds of meals were served but no other case of illness
notified.
In thirteen cases illness was reported following visits to the
seaside and the eating of Cockles, Whelks or Winkles.
Note by the Medical Officer of Health.
Following reports made to the Health Committee in regard
to the need to provide washing facilities for outdoor food handlers,
your Council resolved that a scheme on the following lines be
put into operation, on trial :—
(1) Any person using a public convenience shall be entitled to
wash at the existing wash basin (s) in each public convenience
in the men's or women's sections, and provided, free of charge,
with a paper towel and soap.
(2) This facility shall apply to all users of the public conveniences
whether food handlers or not.
(3) Suitable notices shall be displayed in all public conveniences
of the free facilities, the notices to make a particular appeal
to handlers of food. In addition, shops and other firms concerned
in the sale and handling of food shall be circularised
by the Medical Officer of Health urging them to encourage
their employees to use the free facilities and giving them
publicity.
(4) That a sum of £500 be provided in the estimates for 1949/50
to cover any expenditure in connection with the provision of
additional washing facilities at the public conveniences which
may be found necessary.
The Borough Engineer and Surveyor stated at the close of
1949, that a total of 4,930 paper towels had been used between
2nd June, 1949 and the 21st January, 1950—an average of 12
towels per convenience per week. In addition, there was an
average of 8 persons per week per convenience paying for washing
facilities.