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Dysentery.
There was a marked increase in the number of cases over the previous three years.
Of the 37 cases notified 35 were of bacillary dysentery and 2 of amoebic, one of which
was of a patient recently returned from a tour of the Far East. It was found necessary
to exclude the contact of one case, a food handler, from her normal employment.
Food Poisoning.
Thirty cases of food poisoning were notified during the year but twenty five of
these related to one episode, details of which are given below.
A telephone message was received on 6th November, 1968 from a local family
doctor reporting an outbreak of diarrhoea and nausea at an Old People's Home, situated
in the Borough but supervised by a neighbouring Local Welfare Authority.
On investigation it was found that 25 individuals had sickened, one of whom was
an elderly lady of 81 years, who was admitted to hospital, where she subsequently died.
Samples of boiled beef eaten at the luncheon meal, and of re-cooked meat taken
at the tea meal, were sent to the Public Health Laboratory.
Faecal specimens were obtained from patients, kitchen and nursing staff, and the
bacteriological findings confirmed that the causative organism was Clostridium Welchii.
Thus the probable vehicle was the boiled beef.
There was a practice in the establishment to wash all meat and this was carried
out in one of the three stainless steel sinks in the kitchen. These were also used for
washing vegetables and salad. There was one double sink and one single and the
double sink was used for washing the meat and potatoes, with some interchange in use.
The cook was off duty during the afternoon, and if she had already cooked meat
for the next day's meals, it was left to cool and for one of the other staff to place in
the larder or refrigerator.
The danger of contamination from the sinks and the poor cooling arrangements
were pointed out to the Superintendent and the Local Authority responsible for the
administration informed of the result of the investigation.
A report was also received from a neighbouring London Borough of a party of
visitors to a Public House in their area, who, after partaking of a meal, suffered from
nausea and vomiting, which was later confirmed as Food Poisoning.
One of the staff of this Public House had moved to a residential hotel in this
Borough, where he was employed as barman. Specimens were taken which proved
positive and Salmonella drypool isolated. A certificate was immediately issued excluding
the individual from work from 28th June until 6th August, 1968, when he moved to
another London Borough.

Infective Jaundice.
As a result of the Order made by the Council, Infective Jaundice has been officially
notifiable in the Borough since 1st July, 1967.
The Public Health (Infective Jaundice) Regulations, 1968 which came into force
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