FOOD POISONING

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18583, 18 December 1934, Page 12

FOOD POISONING

PUKEKOHE OUTBREAK CAUSE OF CASES RARE tTVFI- OF ORGANISM (J’«r l';-<‘ss Association..} AUCKLAND, last night. ,\ rare type of organism knoWn ’ as c.etryx was responsible for tjip out-weak of iood poisoning eases at Puk-ekohe last. week. A statement to this effect was made by Dr. ,1. Hughes, medical officer ..f health at Auckland,’ after consultation with Dr. (Jilmouiq pathologist at , the, Auckland Hospital,.. > , who at teriologiea) investigation? into va|'ioiis eases. t Six people from the PukVkohe district were admitted to hospitalcbuffering from mysterious svmptons ofVfubd- 1 poif tiffing. Mrs; L. Nicholson UliedH off Thursday, morning,...and 'other piitile* cqkesS fiveri*. also reported. Mrs. Burrows- bus beefi discharged from hospital, and ally the other patients continue to make satisfactory progress. Various samples of foodstuffs taken from the three houses involved were sent to Auckland last week lor analysis. The results. of the investigation have, established that the meat eaten, by the three families was Hot the cause of the sickness, as was. at one time thought. Other research proved conclusively tne infection of the patients- by aetryx bacillus. “The aettyx organism is one off the food poisoning groups,' said Dr; Hughes. “Unfortunately comparatively little. is known about it. It can be conveyed by flies, and also by human carriers, and it sets up gastro enteritis,' an acute form of cojic, which in some cases can become very serious.” The food can lie quite all right when it leaves the shop, he.said,-and still be infected by the -organism.' -Flies alighting on the food while it .is being , prepared, or after it has been cooked, can infect it very rapidly if they are carrying the germs. Certain people may also act as carriers infecting food through handling, it. One tiling is-immediately apparent, be said, and that is the necessity of protecting food from the risk of contamination bv flies! '