Evening star., 1922-06-18
TYPHOID IN FOOD
AT CHURCH FETE
Health Officer Thinks Germs
Carried Years by Women
Preparing Edibles.
REPORT ON ILLNESS OF a.
Public Warned Against Staleness
and Insanitary Handling
of Edibles.

of Edibles.
Infection OF the coleslaw or the
potato salad is blamed by the health
department for the outbreak OF
typhoid fever which occurred among
persons who attended supper at
Grace Lutheran Church. 18th and
Corcoran streets, on the evening OF
April 81, resulting in thes illness or
forty-four persons and the death of
one.
In statement made public last
night Health Officer William c.
Fowler declared the investigation
made by his Office showed that two
healthy typhoid carriers" assisted In
preparing the food used on that
occasion.
PRESUMABLY either one or both of
the carriers. in the process of pre-
pairing these foods, contaminated
them to some extent" reads one pas
sage from the health officers report.
The finding of two persons who
are carriers" of the typhoid germ
in this investigation does not mean.
DIR. Fowler believes. that Washing
ton has more than the average num-
Der of carriers. but is merely an un-
usual scientific discovery.
Protection Susgested.
After outlining his views as to the
cause OF the sickness which resulted
from the church supper. DR.. Fowler
made public a number of suggestions
to be followed by all washingtonians
to protect food from contamination.
The investigation upon which DR..
Fowler based his conclusions was di-
rected by Assistant Health officer
Cummings
DR.. Fowler's statement on the
cause Of the epidemic follows:
"on April 81. 1929. several hundred
people attended church supper in
this city Among those in attend
ance. at least forty-four developed
typhoid fevers%and up to the present
time there has been one death. The
majority of these typhoid patients
showed their first symptoms of illness
within two weeks following the sup
indicated the probability Of a common
source of food infection at the supper.
Too Late to Test Food.
"At the time the epidemic devel-
oped, It was too late to secure for
scientific investigation samples Of
food served. All other accepted pro-
cedures for determining the source of
infection were carried out. The milk
and the ice cream were eliminated as
several sick with typhoid fever did
not partake Of these foods. The final
result of the investigation showed
that among the workers preparing the
food at the church, there were two
healthy typhoid carriers. From our
investigation. 1t would appear very
definitely that both of these carriers
had typhoid fever years ago. The
finding OF two healthy carriers. as a
result Of this investigation. does not
nean that Washington has more than
the average number Of carriers. but
Some of the workers prepared GER
tain foods which were either un-
cooked. as coleslaw. or first cooked
and again handled In their prepara-
tion. as potato salad. 1t Is note
worthy fact that much Of the food
per, but in the interim was not kept
on ice. This applies not only to un-
cooked food. but as we'll to cooked
food which, having been cooked. was
again handled in its preparation for
salad. Presumably either one or both
of the carriers. in the process Of pre-
pairing these foods, contaminated
them to some extent. This slight bac-
terial contamination had time to null
tiply many fold. The conditions were
IL. <o ~
tion. because these foods were not
kept on ice during the twenty-four-
hour period following their hand
preparation. The health department
is convinced as a result Of it's inves-
tigation that typhoid infection Of
both. was responsible for the epi-
demic. because all the patients Ill
with typhoid fever partook Of one or
both Of these foods"
Here are the practical lessons which
DR.. Fowler believes might be drawn
from this outbreak:
Clean Food Essential.
Food. cooked or uncooked. especial
ly the latter variety. should be
handled as little as possible and the
greatest care taken to see that the
hands Of those handling it are first
from any possible contamination.
THE hand preparation of food.
either cooked or uncooked. should not
take place at longer time before the
food is consumed than is essential.
and during the interval between the
preparation and consumption II
should be kept on ice.
Now that the public water supply
is practically eliminated as q source
of infection. the food handler becomes
the most dangerous source Of con-
tagion. OF the many foods through
which typhoid might be distributed,
milk ranks foremost, but in this epi-
demic. as has been stated. milk is ex-
cluded as the source Of infection.
"An additional barrier against in
lection Is typhoid vaccination. and q
more universal recourse to this pre-
ventive measure would materially re-
duce the typhoid sick rate"