HEALTH NOTES

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 801, 23 October 1929, Page 16

HEALTH NOTES

ENTERIC FEVER SOURCE OF INFECTION j (Contributed by the Department of Health.) Typhoid, or enteric fever, is a pre- | rentable disease \hat can and should be stamped out. It is an infectious disease due to a red-shaped microorganism w-hich enters the body by way of the mouth. The mode of infection has been pithily expressed as ,by food, fingers, and flies. Typhoid j germs enter the mouth with drinking j water or water used in preparing unj cooked food, w-ith milk, raw- feeds, or ! are introduced on unwashed fingers. ! Flies have been proved to carry inj fection from excreta, and discharges [ of typhoid patients to milk or food I which has been left unscreened against them. Contaminated water may transmit the typhoid bacillus either through admixture or through its use for cleaning receptacles to various types of food, w-hich in turn become sources of infection. Among the most notorious infections of this type are those w-hich occur from shellfish. TRACING INFECTION Oysters in particular have been for many years suspected of being a possible source of typhoid infection. It remained, however, for Conn, in 1594, to demonstrate that an epidemic of typhoid could be directly traced to oysters consumed at a banquet, which had been fattened over a period or several days near the outlet of a sewer. Certain places on the English littoral, in particular Belfast, Brighton, and other towns, have for many years had endemic or residual typhoid cases, which form a very considerable percentage of the total number, and which may be in all probability traced to the eating of raw shellfish, oysters, mussels, and cockles. Experiments on the resistance of typhoid bacilli when artificially placed in oysters show that they will survive for from five to nine days.

Another indirect source of contagion from contaminated water is in the consumption of raw vegetables, such as watercress, celery and radishes, which either have been w-ashed with water or have been subjected to a forced growth by fertilisation with night soil or contaminated water. The prevalence of typhoid fever in any community is now generally accepted as a measure of the sanitary intelligence of such a community. A low typhoid fever rate means that the people have safe water, clean food, and have a good standard of personal hygiene. Steady improvement has been made in all these matters in New Zealand of late years. The conquest of typhoid fever, however, calls for continued effort and constant watchfulness, as any slackening brings its penalty. Care of the Patient When typhoid fever is suspected medical advice should always be sought. The nurse, or whoever takes care of a patient, should never come in contact with the fc#d for other members -of the family, and should always wash her bands in a disinfectant after attending the patient. All table utensils, bed clothing, and other things that have come into contact with a typhoid patient must be thoroughly disinfected *by ' boiling or by other means suggested by tbe physician. All remnants of food from the sick room must be burnt. All discharges from the patient must he disinfected and protected from flies. The typhoid, patient should have his own table utensils, which should be boiled after using. The advice given to householders in the Department’s leaflet on home isolation of infectious diseases should be strictly carried out VACCINATION Typhoid vaccine is made with dead typhoid fever germs. This vaccine is injected under the skin in three doses, usually at weekly intervals. A slight redness soon appears at the point of infection, but disappears in a few days. In some cases a slight headache and a tired feeling follows, lasting about a day. In very rare cases these signs may extend over several days, but the vaccination has proved to be harmless. The history of the British Army affords a striking illustration of the efficacy of vaccination against typhoid fever. In the South African War, typhoid fever killed more than powder and shot, while in the Great War, as a result of routine vaccination, it was an almost unknown disease among the troops. The benefits of the procedure have been clearly demonstrated in New Zealand among the Maori section of our people. The Maori today runs a greater risk of typhoid than the European, and although a great deal is being done by the progressive improvement of water supplies and drainage in Maori villages, routine vaccination helps to compensate for deficiencies which cannot be remedied right away. Things to bear in mind:—Typhoid fever can be controlled by the use of pure water, pasteurised milk, and clean foods, by the proper disposal of sewage; by screening privies and food against flies; by destruction of the fly and its breeding places; by search for and care of patients and carriers; and by the general practice of anti-typhoid vaccination. During epidemics of typhoid fever, it is advisable as a precautionary measure to cook all shellfish before eating them.