SCARLET FEVER MILK-BORNE OUTBREAKS 



291 



V 



Paddin^on and Bays-water, 1880 



{July and September). 



Total number of families in- 

 vaded 84 



Number of polluted milk sources 2 

 Number of milkmen . • . many 



Circu7nstances implicating the milk 

 supply. — Many cases of scarlet fever 

 among the families of milkers on 2 

 out of 8 farms furnishing the supply. 

 Outbreak divisible into two portions, 

 both of which arose on the track of 

 this milk supply. 



Probable exciting cause. — Human 

 source. 



Reporter and reference. — Dr J. 

 Stevenson (Med. Off. of Health). 

 Brit. Med. Jour., 1880, vol. ii., pp. 596, 

 632. 



Halifax, 1881 (^January). 



Total number of cases . . 510 



Deaths 86 



Number of families supplied by 



milkman 135 



Number of such families invaded 53 



Percentage ..... 39 



Circumstances implicating the milk 



supply. — Farmer^s man who milked 



the cows and brought the milk to the 



customers had 4 children ill of scarlet 



fever. Having 6 children (one a 



baby), the mother could not attend 



to all her household duties and nurse 



\ the sick as well ; probably, therefore, 



[the man did his share of nursing, 



[and he placed his clothes on the 



children's bed at night for extra 



I covering. Four other children were 



, attacked before 14th January. Straight 



from his home, with his person and 



clothing alike infected, he went to 



milk the cows, and also assisted in 



distribution of milk. 



In December 1880 there were more 

 than a dozen cases in the district, but 

 in the beginning of January there was 

 a marked and sudden increase (com- 

 prising about 400 cases). 



On the first three days of January 

 50 cases commenced. Abundant evi- 

 dence to show that the milk carried 

 the infection. In the families escaping 

 there were in 70 per cent, no children, 

 and in other cases various degrees of 

 protection. Some of the cases com- 

 menced illness within six hours of 

 having partaken of the milk. Dr 

 Ballard suggested that there were in 

 all probability other agencies at work 

 besides the infected milk. 



Probable exciting cause. — Human 

 source. 



Reporter and reference. — Drs Ainley 

 and Ballard. Brit. Med. Jour., 1881, 

 vol. i., p. 255, and vol. ii., p. 485 ; Loc. 

 Gov. Bd. Rep., 1 881, p. 60. 



Oreenock, 1882 {^January and February). 



Total number of cases . . 20 

 Number of cases amongst 



drinkers of suspected milk . 20 



Percentage 100 



Number of families supplied by 



milkman 11 



Number of polluted milk sources i 



Nimiber of milkmen . . . i 



Circumstances implicating the milk 

 supply. — Scarlet fever in dairyman's 

 family ; 4 cases, initial case dating 

 from 19th January. No cases occurred 

 after milk supply stopped. 



There occurred another similar out- 

 break affecting 47 persons in October 

 and November of the same year, which 

 was traced, in part, to unrecognised 

 cases of scarlet fever in the milk dealer 

 and his child. 



Probable exciting cause. — Human 

 source. 



Reporter and reference. — Dr Wallace 

 (Med. Off. of Health). Brit. Med. 

 Jour., 1882, vol. j., p. 437, and vol. ii., 

 P- 1325- 



North Ijondon, 1882 {January). 



Total number of cases — ^^ extensive 

 outburst." 



