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(1) One hundred children suffered from gastro-enteritis after
a mid-day meal in a school canteen. The water in an outside
storage tank was found to be contaminated, and the illness was
due to salad washed in this water. Immediate steps were taken
by the Education Authority to rectify this. These cases
emphasise the duty plaoed on those responsible for communal
feeding to ensure the maximum safety of food from infection,
(2) A family of three suffered from gastro-enteritis due to
Bacillus Typhi Murium derived from mouse infestation of a larder.
The mouse sometimes carries this organism, which can cause severe
and sometimes fatal illness. All practicable steps should bo
taken to suppress mice and to protect larders and food stores
against infestation,
(3 & 4) The Staphylococcus is commonly found on the skin of
the hands and is easily transmitted to food if hands arc not
thoroughly washed. Under favourable conditions of temperature
and moisture the Staphylococcus Aureus will multiply rapidly on
many foods and can produce a powerful toxin which is a severe
gastrointestinal irritant.
The need for constant vigilance by all concerned with
the handling and preparation of food is demonstrated by the
occurrence of these cases. Infection can only be prevented by
scrupulous cleanliness,
CEREBRO SPINAL FEVER:- Three cases were notified. Those
were sporadic with no interconnection. There was one death of
a baby aged 5 months from a severe attack.
POLIOMYELITIS:- Two cases were notified. One, a boy of 10
years has residual paralysis of the right leg and remains in
hospital under treatment. The other, a female adult, has
recovered with slight residual weakness of the muscles of the
shoulders and arms,
PNEUMONIA:- Of thirty-three deaths occurring from all forms
of Pneumonia, one was notified previous to death. The total
number of notified cases arising in the district was thirteen,
NON-NOTIFIABLE DISEASES:- School teachers reported three
hundred and seventy-four oases of Chicken Pox, one hundred and
ninety-four cases of Mumps, nineteen cases of German Measles,
and six oases of infective jaundice. School notifications are
a useful index of the prevalence of non-notifiable diseases, and
form a basis for consultations with the school medical officer.
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