In 1964, there was an outbreak of
typhoid
Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by ''Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several d ...
in the city of
Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
, 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
Milltimber is a suburb of Aberdeen, Scotland, around west of Aberdeen city centre. From 1854 to 1937 the area was served by Milltimber railway station on the Aberdeen suburban railway.
Along with the nearby settlements of Cults and Bieldside ...
which was used as an overflow hospital for typhoid cases. There were three deaths connected with the outbreak.
Dr Ian MacQueen, the
Medical Officer of Health
A medical officer of health, also known as a medical health officer, chief health officer, chief public health officer or district medical officer, is the title commonly used for the senior government official of a health department, usually at a m ...
for Aberdeen, became well known in the media for his twice-daily briefings.
The outbreak was eventually traced to contaminated tinned
corned beef from
Rosario,
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
and sold in the city's branch of the Scottish grocery chain
William Low. Pollution from the waters of the
Uruguay River
The Uruguay River ( es, Río Uruguay, ; pt, Rio Uruguai, ) is a major river in South America. It flows from north to south and forms parts of the boundaries of Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay, separating some of the Argentine provinces of La M ...
(which flows into the
Río de la Plata
The Río de la Plata (, "river of silver"), also called the River Plate or La Plata River in English, is the estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River at Punta Gorda. It empties into the Atlantic Ocean and fo ...
) 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,
The Queen
In the English-speaking world, The Queen most commonly refers to:
* Elizabeth II (1926–2022), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 1952 until her death
The Queen may also refer to:
* Camilla, Queen Consort (born 1947), ...
made a high-profile visit to boost morale and to help rehabilitate the city's reputation.
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.
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
Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Welwyn Garden City, England. In 2011 it was the third-largest retailer in the world measured by gross revenues and the ninth-largest in th ...
in 1994. Public perceptions of the safety of
Fray Bentos
Fray Bentos () is the capital city of the Río Negro Department, in south-western Uruguay, at the Argentina-Uruguay border, near the Argentine city of Gualeguaychú. Its port on the Uruguay River is one of the nation's most important harbours. ...
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
, mottoeng = The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom
, established =
, type = Public research universityAncient university
, endowment = £58.4 million (2021)
, budget ...
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
Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI) is the largest hospital in the Grampian area, located on the Foresterhill site in Aberdeen, Scotland. ARI is a teaching hospital with around 900 inpatient beds, offering tertiary care for a population of over 600, ...
*
Food Standards Agency
, type = Non-ministerial government department
, nativename =
, nativename_a =
, nativename_r =
, logo = Food Standards Agency.svg
, logo_width =
, logo_caption =
, seal =
, seal_width =
, seal_caption =
, picture =
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*
Liebig's Extract of Meat Company
Liebig's Extract of Meat Company, established in the United Kingdom, was the producer of LEMCO brand Liebig's Extract of Meat and the originator of Oxo meat extracts and Oxo beef stock cubes. It was named after Baron Justus von Liebig, the 1 ...
References
The Little History of Aberdeenshire by Duncan Harley (Ch10 - Health Matters)
External links
Typhoid left city 'under siege', BBC news, 200850th anniversary of the outbreak, BBC news, 2014History of the typhoid outbreak of 1964, University of AberdeenParliamentary reports (Hansard), House of Commons, 29 July 1964The 1964 Aberdeen Typhoid Epidemic -Part One, Aberdeen Voice, 23 May 2014
{{DEFAULTSORT:1964 Aberdeen Typhoid Outbreak
Food safety scandals
Food safety in the United Kingdom
Aberdeen Typhoid Outbreak
Typhoid fever
1960s in Aberdeen
1964 disease outbreaks
Disease outbreaks in Scotland
Aberdeen Typhoid Outbreak
Aberdeen Typhoid Outbreak
Aberdeen Typhoid Outbreak
Beef