Hostname: page-component-84b7d79bbc-l82ql Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-08-04T17:01:37.768Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Typhoid Fever and Mussel Pollution

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

George F. Buchan
George F. Buchan
Affiliation:
Medical Officer of Health and School Medical Officer, Heston and Isleworth Urban District; late Assistant Medical Officer of Health, City of Birmingham.
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

(1) 855 primary cases of typhoid fever in households in Birmingham were investigated.

(2) In 124 or 14·5% of these cases a history of mussel eating within four weeks of the onset of the disease was obtained.

(3) In 17 instances the histories were conclusive of mussel infection.

(4) The curve of mussel-typhoid cases arranged in their weeks of commencement tallies closely with the importation of mussels into Birmingham.

(5) Mussel infection is one of the causes contributing to the autumnal rise of enteric fever.

(6) Some of the sources from which mussels are sent to the Birmingham market are known to be exposed to dangerous sewage contamination.

(7) 65 samples of mussels obtained on entering the Birmingham market from 22 different known sources were analysed bacteriologically.

(8) The results in terms of (a) the total number of organisms, (b) the number of glucose-fermenters, (c) the number of spores of Bacillus enteritidis sporogenes, and (d) the number of Streptococci shew that pollution to a dangerous degree of a large proportion of mussels placed on the market for human consumption exists.

(9) 14 experiments were carried out in relation to mussels subjected to mussels subjected to moist heat at 100°C.

(10) These shew that the ordinary method of cooking to mussels does not remove the risk of typhiod infection and that mussels may be heated in a steam steriliser at 100° C. continuously for as long as four and a half hours without sterilisation.

(11) Legisaltion is necessary to prohibit the gathering of mussels for human consumption from mussel beds exposed to sewage contamination.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Hygiene , Volume 10 , Issue 4 , December 1910 , pp. 569 - 585
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1910

References

REFERENCES

Browne, T. J. (1904). On an enquiry into the conditions under which oysters and certain other edible molluscs are cultivated and stored on the coast of Ireland, with special reference to the question of the pollution of the shell–fish layings by sewage matter. Report of the Local Government Board for Ireland (Cd. 1900), pp. 1—82.Google Scholar
Bochan, G. F. (vii. 1908). On mussels and typhoid fever. City of Birmingham Health Reports.Google Scholar
Bulstrode, H. T. (1894—95). On an enquiry into the conditions under which oysters and certain other edible molluscs are cultivated and stored along the coast of England and Wales. 24th Annual Report of the Medical Officer of the Local Government Board, pp. 1—108.Google Scholar
Chantemesse, (1896). Transmission de la fièvre typhoïde par les huîtres. Bull. Acad. de Méd., Paris, Séance du 2 Juin.Google Scholar
Clark, H. W. and Gage, S. De M. (1905). On the pollution of shell–fish. 37th Annual Report of the State Board of Health of Massachusetts, pp. 427—457.Google Scholar
Foote, C. J. (1894). On a bacteriological study of oysters with special reference to them as a source of typhoid infection. 18th Annual Report of the State Board of Health of Connecticut, pp. 189—199.Google Scholar
Herdman, W. A. and Boyce, R. (1898—99). On oysters and disease. Lancashire Sea-Fisheries Memoir I. Thompson—Yates Laboratories—Reprints and Reports, Vol. II.Google Scholar
Hewlett, R. T. (1903). On shell—fish and typhoid fever.Journal of State Medicine, Vol. XI. pp. 163—166.Google Scholar
Houston, A. C. (1904). On bacteriological examinations. Royal Commission on Sewage Disposal, 4th Report, Vol. III. 1904.Google Scholar
Houston, A. C. (1907). On the quintuple preferential Bacillus colitest. Reports on the Metropolitian Water Supply, 1907, January, pp. 48—52.Google Scholar
Johnstone, J. (1909). On shell—fish examination. Journal of Hygiene, Vol. IX. pp. 412—440.Google Scholar
Klein, E. (1894—1895). On his bacteriological researches. 24th Annual Report of the Medical officer of the Local Government Board, 1894—95, pp. 109—151.Google Scholar
Klein, E. (1905). On experiments and observations on the vitality of the bacillus of typhoid fever and sewage microbes in oysters and other shell-fish. Published by the Fishmongers Company, London, 1905.Google Scholar
Mosny, (1899—1900). Des maladies provoquées par l'ingestion des mollusques. Revue D'Hygiène, 1899, pp. 1057—1105; 1900, pp. 12—62, 102—142, and 193—212.Google Scholar
Royal Commission on Sewage Disposal (1904). On the pollution of tidal waters, with special reference to contamination of shall—fish. 4th Report, Vol. I. 1904.Google Scholar
Thresh, J. C. (1906). On unsound food—shell—fish. Preservatives in Food and Food Examination by Thresh, J. C. and Porter A. E. Published by J. and A. Churchill, London, 1906, pp. 247—255.Google Scholar