asked the Minister for Health whether he has taken any, and if so what, steps to prevent any spread from Scotland of the typhoid epidemic.
3.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Scottish Typhoid Epidemic.
2.
Mr. Ryan
asked the Minister for Health what steps are being taken to prevent the spread of typhoid from Scotland to this country.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 and 3 together.
I should emphasise straight away that there is no indication whatsoever that there are any grounds for public alarm. The chief medical officers of the various health authorities, however, have been alerted to ensure that appropriate action will be taken by them should the necessity arise.
I should explain here that the usual manner of transmission of typhoid is through contaminated food or water and quarantine measures of the kind which might be applied to travellers in the cases of some other diseases such as smallpox would not be appropriate. Typhoid cannot normally be diagnosed during the incubation period of the disease, which is usually about ten to 14 days, and, accordingly, even if medical examination of all persons arriving from an affected area were feasible and justifiable, such a measure would not ensure the identification of cases in the early stages of infection. An absolute guarantee against the importation of typhoid from abroad could be achieved only by a complete prohibition on cargo and passenger traffic into this country, which I am sure will be recognised as not being realistic.
There is one simple precaution which may readily be taken by everybody. It is to wash the hands carefully after using the toilet and before handling or eating food.
4.
asked the Minister for Health whether any of the tainted corned beef found to have been the source of the typhoid epidemic in Scotland was imported into Ireland; and, if so, what steps he proposes to take to prevent its consumption.
5.
asked the Minister for Health whether he has had investigations made to ensure that none of the corned beef, which is stated by the chief medical officer of Aberdeen to be responsible for the spread of the typhoid epidemic, is on sale in this country.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 and 5 together.
The importation of meat into this country is strictly controlled by the Minister for Agriculture. The importation of tinned corned beef of South American origin, to which the typhoid epidemic has been attributed, though it is fair to say that this has been denied by the producers, is not permitted and I am informed that there has been no such importation for very many years and certainly not since the end of the second World War.