Citation

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA. MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. 1956; 5(33): 1.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1956, (in public domain), Publisher U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Sarah V. Dugan, Kentucky State Department of Health, has reported an outbreak in which the illness of 38 persons was suspected to have been due to ingestion of a fly spray. All of the patients drank a soft-drink beverage at a concession stand operated in connection with a drive-in theater. Most of the persons became 111 with nausea in 1 to 2 hours after drinking the beverage. Some complained of headache and a few had diarrhea. Investigation revealed that the beverage was served in paper cups which had been spread out on a counter, open side up. Straws and ice-bins were also uncovered. A fly spray containing DDT in a petroleum distillate had been used inside the concession stand presumably after the paper cups were set out on the counter. Although specimens of food and drink from original containers were collected, no chemical examinations were made. All the evidence pointed to contamination of the exposed paper cups as the source of the illness.