1964 Aberdeen typhoid outbreak

Disease outbreak in Aberdeen, Scotland March 2018 March 2018 In 1964, there was an outbreak of typhoid in the city of Aberdeen, Scotland. The first two cases were identified on 20 May 1964; eventually over 400 cases were diagnosed and the patients were quarantined at the City Hospital in Urquhart Road, Woodend Hospital in Eday Road, and Tor-na-Dee Hospital in Milltimber which was used as an overflow hospital for typhoid cases.Records of Tor-na-Dee Hospital, Milltimber http://calms.abdn.ac.uk/DServe/dserve.exe?dsqServer=Calms&dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqCmd=Show.tcl&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqPos=0&dsqSearch=%28RefNo%3D%27grhb%2025%27%29 University of Aberdeen (Special Collections) 13 March 2020 3 May 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150503141316/http://calms.abdn.ac.uk/DServe/dserve.exe?dsqServer=Calms&dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqCmd=Show.tcl&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqPos=0&dsqSearch=%28RefNo%3D%27grhb%2025%27%29 dead There were three deaths connected with the outbreak.Aberdeen Typhoid Outbreak of 1964 British Medical Journal 10 September 1966 2 5514 601–602 https://www.bmj.com/content/2/5514/601.full.pdf 12 March 2020 10.1136/bmj.2.5514.601 5917376 1943458 free Dr Ian MacQueen, the Medical Officer of Health for Aberdeen, became well known in the media for his twice-daily briefings.Nicolson Stuart Typhoid left city 'under siege' https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/7471198.stm 18 November 2014 BBC Scotland News 26 June 2008Smith D. F. Food panics in history: corned beef, typhoid and "risk society" Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health 1 July 2007 61 7 566–570 10.1136/jech.2006.046417 2465752 17568045 The outbreak was eventually traced to contaminated tinned corned beef from Rosario, Argentina and sold in the city's branch of the Scottish grocery chain William Low. Pollution from the waters of the Uruguay River (which flows into the Río de la Plata) appeared to be the source of the contamination, probably through water entering a defective tin through a small puncture. The infected meat then contaminated a meat slicing machine within the William Low shop, leading to the spread of the disease. The bacteria multiplied further in the meats as they were placed near a window and exposed to sunlight. Aftermath The reputation of Aberdeen as a safe city to visit, live and work in was briefly harmed by the media coverage of the outbreak. In July 1964, following the end of the outbreak, Queen Elizabeth II made a high-profile visit to boost morale and to help rehabilitate the city's reputation.1964-06-28 Queen's Visit Assures Aberdeen That Typhoid Ordeal Is Over en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1964/06/28/archives/queens-visit-assures-aberdeen-that-typhoid-ordeal-is-over.html 2023-02-20 0362-4331 An official enquiry and report into the outbreak was commissioned by the Secretary of State for Scotland. The enquiry was headed by Sir David Milne and his published findings became known as the Milne Report.December 1965 Walker William The Aberdeen Typhoid Outbreak of 1964 http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/003693306501001203 Scottish Medical Journal en 10 12 466–479 10.1177/003693306501001203 5858949 0036-9330 Walker W. 26585896 subscription The reputation of William Low was irrevocably damaged within Aberdeen and the city's store, the source of the outbreak, closed for good three years later. Dundee-based company William Low subsequently opened many other stores around Scotland, but remained absent from Aberdeen. William Low was eventually taken over by Tesco in 1994. Public perceptions of the safety of Fray Bentos tinned meats also contributed to significantly diminished income. The outbreak was successfully handled, although there were three fatalities confirmed. The outbreak drew attention to the need for better standards of hygiene, notably in the cleaning of food processing machinery. The University of Aberdeen went on to develop an international reputation in the field of disease control, notably in the appointment of Professor Hugh Pennington to the post of Professor of Bacteriology from 1979 until his retirement in 2003. See also Aberdeen Royal Infirmary Food Standards Agency Liebig's Extract of Meat Company References The Little History of Aberdeenshire by Duncan Harley (Ch10 - Health Matters) External links Typhoid left city 'under siege', BBC news, 2008 50th anniversary of the outbreak, BBC news, 2014 History of the typhoid outbreak of 1964, University of Aberdeen Parliamentary reports (Hansard), House of Commons, 29 July 1964 The 1964 Aberdeen Typhoid Epidemic -Part One, Aberdeen Voice, 23 May 2014 Category:Food safety incidents in the United Kingdom Aberdeen Typhoid Outbreak Category:Typhoid fever Category:1960s in Aberdeen Category:1964 disease outbreaks Category:Disease outbreaks in Scotland Aberdeen Typhoid Outbreak Aberdeen Typhoid Outbreak Aberdeen Typhoid Outbreak Category:Beef