ORGANISMS IN RAW MILK

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27415, 30 July 1954, Page 6

ORGANISMS IN RAW MILK

ENGLISH OUTBREAK OF FOOD POISONING

SUPPLIES FROM TESTED HERD

Raw milk from a tuberculin-tested herd was held to be responsible for an outbreak of food poisoning involving at least 252 persons in Easington ana the surrounding district in the country of Durham, England, last year. The milk was the vehicle for salmonella typhimurium. The monthly bulletin of the Ministry of Health and the Public Health Laboratory Service in Britain says that the nature of the outbreak suggested that milk or water was the vehicle for the infection. On investigation, it was found that, without exception, the patients concerned had been supplied with raw milk from a particular dairy farm, and there was soon ample evidence that this was the source of infection.

Salmonella typhimurium was isolated from the dung and the milk of a single cow in the tuberculintested herd on the farm, and from most of the milk handlers, as well as from the faeces of a. proportion of the population at risk. The article says: “It shows that a false sense of security is given by the designation ‘tuberculin-tested’ applied to raw milk, and it provides another argument in favour of the pasteurisation of all milk, whatever its grade.’’ Medical Officer’s Comment “There are several features worthy of comment in this report,” said Dr. H. T. Knights, Deputy Medical Officer of Health for the Christchurch-Grey-mouth Health District, yesterday. “These are:— “(1) The fact that, beyond minor detail inspecting authorities commented favourably on the cleanliness of the dairy. “(2) No bacteria were isolated from the mixed milk supply from the herd although advanced bacteriological techniques were employed. “(3) Neither the animal nor the milk handlers carrying the organism in their bodies gave external evidence of ill-health.

“(4) The identity of the strains of bacteria upon the persons of the milk handlers and the victims of the outbreak was proved by the technique—at present not’ available in this country—of phage typing, which indicated the source of the outbreak.

“ITiese points should surely go some distance towards convincing those who talk of ‘safe raw milk supply’ that their contention is a contradiction in terms,” Dr. Knights concluded.