[Report 1963] / Medical Officer of Health, Leek U.D.C.

  • Leek (England). Urban District Council.
Date:
1963
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1963] / Medical Officer of Health, Leek U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    11/42 (page 7)
    direct microscopy and none were found to be positive. All were examined by cultural examination and 1 of these was found to be positive for tubercle bacillus. The general practitioners submitted a total of 18 specimens of sputum during the year. All were examined by direct examination for tubercle bacilli, and all were negative. Cultural examination was made and these results were also negative. THROAT SWABS. 13 throat swabs were taken in 1963 by the general practitioners. 8 were positive for htemolytic streptococci. No diphtheria bacilli were isolated. One showed a moderate growth of coliforms and one yeasts. F7ECES. A total of 288 were sent for examination during the year, 2 were positive for salmonella typhimurium, and 28 for shigella sonnei. BLOOD SPECIMENS. 5 specimens were sent by a general prac¬ titioner. All were negative. FOOD SAMPLES. The laboratory was also used for the examination of ice cream samples during 1963. MILK. The laboratory continues to report on the results of general bacteriological tests and biological tests for tubercle bacilli in samples of milk submitted to it by the County Council Milk Sampling Officer — milk sold in the Urban District. During the year, a total of 227 samples were taken. 170 samples were sumbitted to the METHELYN BLUE test, a test for ordinary bacteriological cleanliness, 14 samples failed to pass the test. Failures were in Tuberculin tested 6. Tuberculin tested pasteurised 7, and pasteurised milk 1. Of the 134 samples of pasteurised milk examined by the PHOS¬ PHATASE TEST - to ascertain the effectivness of the process — 2 failed the test. All 37 samples of sterilised milk submitted to the TURBIDITY TEST were satisfactory. Sterilised milk is very safe indeed, and in my opinion should be much more popular than it is at present. BIOLOGICAL TESTS for the presence of tubercle bacilli were carried out on 22 samples of tuberculin tested milk, all of which were satisfactory. BRUCELLOSIS. This is a disease almost invariably transmitted to human beings by drinking infected milk. Samples are taken as a routine measure to ascertain whether the milk is infected, in 1963 no samples were found to be positive. The preventative measures in this disease are hindered by the fact that the organism may be excreted intermittently by the cow, the length of time taken by the laboratory to undertake the biological test and that Brucellosis is not a notifiable disease. The most effective measure against contracting this disease is to drink pasteurised or sterilised milk only.