Observations concerning bacillary food infection in Dundee during the period 1923–38

Abstract

1. The most common cause of bacillary food infection in this area is the aertrycke bacillus which has been responsible for most of the sporadic and familial outbreaks of so-called food poisoning. It was also responsible for one, the largest, outbreak of this condition in Dundee during the period under consideration.2. The other sporadic cases were caused by different members of the group of Salmonella organisms—stanley, potsdam, senftenberg, while two cases were possibly due to a micro-organism having somatic relationship with the aberdeen bacillus although not possessed to the “i” flagellar antigen. It is probable, therefore, that these less frequently encountered Salmonellas are of wide distribution.3. Two extensive outbreaks of milk-borne bacillary food infection due to the dublin type of the gaertner bacillus are described. In both, the source of infection was determined and proved to be a cow which had indubitably suffered from a septicaemic infection due to that micro-organism.These two dublin outbreaks are of special interest in view of the findings of Conybeare & Thornton (1938) concerning the presence of antibodies to this bacillus in the blood of bovines and its presence in dejecta of a cow which, in view of the absence of evidence of illness, could only be regarded as a “carrier”.If there be an appreciable number of carriers among bovines such observations as those of Montgomery (1938) concerning sporadic infantile meningitis due to the dublin bacillus are comprehensible though, of course, no explanation can be offered concerning the peculiar tendency to invade the meninges exhibited by this particular Salmonella.