THE CAMBRIDGE STATISTICS DISCUSSION GROUP
Wednesday 2nd March 2005 7:15 for 7:45
Statistical Laboratory,
Centre for Mathematical Sciences,
Wilberforce Road
Cambridge
Dead Dutch Cats
Mary Garratt
Abstract:
In April 1996 veterinary surgeons in the Netherlands observed an unusually
large number of cats with acute paralysis of the hind legs, often rapidly
followed by paralysis of the fore legs and subsequent respiratory failure.
Postmortem examination revealed the cause to be acute polyneuropathy.
Polyneuropathies can arise from a number of conditions, including diseases,
dietary deficiencies and poisoning. A team of veterinarians set up to
investigate the outbreak found that a high proportion of the affected
animals had been fed one of two brands of food before the illness. This
talk will describe the role of a statistician in the subsequent identification
of the cause of the epidemic.
Speaker:
Mary spent most of her working life as a statistician at Dalgety's central
research facility in Cambridge. Before its demise in 1998, Dalgety was a
major food manufacturing company with brand names such as Spillers,
Homepride, Winalot and Felix. Its pet food business manufactured the two
foods implicated above.
Directions:
The main entrance is reached from Clarkson Road by going along the
footpath to the right of the Newton Institute, and turning left through the
gatehouse towards the main building (Pavilion A), which has a glass front and
a curved grassed roof. The main entrance is in the middle of the glass
front. Coffee before the talk will be in the common room in Pavilion D,
and the talk will be in Meeting Room 5 in Pavilion A. Free Parking is
available after 5pm on Clarkson and Wilberforce Roads.
Next Meetings:
11th April - Anthony Edwards (Gonville and Caius) on 'Cambridge Statistics
from Venn to Fisher and Beyond'.
19th May - Adam Kleczkowski (Plant Sciences).
Supper: Some members eat regularly in the University Centre before
each talk meeting in the downstairs bar at 6pm. Feel free to join them.
Subscriptions: of 4 pounds per member are now due for the 2004-2005 session.
Secretary: Peter Watson, MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit,
15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge CB2 2EF;telephone 01223 355294 Extension 801;
E-mail [log in to unmask]
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