[Report 1977] / Swansea Port Health Authority.

  • Swansea (Wales). Port Health Authority.
Date:
1977
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1977] / Swansea Port Health Authority. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    26/40 (page 14)
    RABIES Although the Swansea Port Health Authority is not the Authority responsible for the enforcement of the various Orders relating to Rabies, your Officers are maintainir careful vigilance and have reported certain incidents contravening the Regulations t0 the West Glamorgan County Council, which is the Authority responsible. During the morning of Thursday 1st December, 1977 the Port Medical Officer was contacted by telephone by the Medical Officer of Health in Peterborough, who wished to inform him of an incident which had occurred in the port at Wisbech some days earli A woman had been bitten by a dog on a Cypriot vessel which was being loaded at Wisbech lhe dog had been secured and confined to one room but the woman had inadvertently entered the room and been bitten by the dog. The vessel had shortly afterwards sailed for Belfast and was due back in Swansea on that day, the 1st December. This information was passed on to the Diseases of Animals Officer of the West Glamorgan County Council, who made the necessary arrangements to board the vessel on arrival together with a Ministry Authorised Carrying Agent. The dog was removed to authorised quarantine premises where tests were carried out which ultimately proved that the animal was not rabid. SECTION XI - Measures taken against ships infected with or suspected for plague No plague infected or suspected ships arrived. SECTION XII - Measures against rodents in ships from foreign ports 1. Procedure for inspection of ships for rats The Ratsearcher, working under the direction of an Inspector, searches as a routine, ships from foreign ports as soon as possible after arrival, for any evidence of rat infestation. Enquiries are always made as to mortality amongst the rats on oard and particular attention during the aearch is paid to any excreta, runs, smears, etc. as well as to any harbourage present. It is as a result of such and inspection whether any rat repressive measures are deemed necessary. The same procedure is adopted prior to the issue of a Deratting or Deratting xemption Certificate, which foreign-going ships must possess in accordance with Article 54 of the International Health Regulations as well as for Rodent Certificates issued under the Prevention of Damage by Pests (Application to shipping) Orders The Ratsearcher inspected 895 ships during the year and discovered evidence of rats on five ships and evidence of mice on one ship. 2* Arrangements for the bacteriological or pathological examination of Rodents. —----k sPe<pj-al reference to rodent plague, including the number of Rodents sent for examination during the year. In compliance with the Welsh Office Circular No. 66/76, the practice of sending rats to the Public Health Laboratory for examination to exclude Plague infection has ceased.