A Food-Borne Outbreak Caused by Salmonella Enteritidis.
10.3349/ymj.2003.44.2.198
- Author:
Ozlem TANSEL
1
;
Galip EKUKLU
;
Metin OTKUN
;
Muserref TATMAN-OTKUN
;
Filiz AKATA
;
Murat TUGRUL
Author Information
1. Department of Public Health, Medical Faculty of Trakya University, 22030 Edirne, Turkey. ekuklu@hotmail.com
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Food-borne outbreak;
salmonella enteritidis;
outbreak surveillance;
surveillance;
outbreak
- MeSH:
*Disease Outbreaks;
Eggs/microbiology;
Human;
Salmonella Food Poisoning/*epidemiology/etiology;
Salmonella enteritidis/*isolation & purification;
Turkey/epidemiology
- From:Yonsei Medical Journal
2003;44(2):198-202
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
This study was designed to define the epidemiology of a food-borne outbreak caused by Salmonella enteritidis that affected only one squadron of a military battalion located in the vicinity of the city of Edirne in Turkey. The outbreak was analyzed by a standard surveillance form of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The relationship between the eaten foods and cases was analyzed by Fisher's exact chi-square test, and odds ratios were calculated by a case-control study. The outbreak affected 60 of 168 soldiers in the squadron, 16 of whom were hospitalized. S.enteritidis was cultured in stools from 13 of the hospitalized soldiers and from 3 soldiers who had prepared the food. All strains were completely susceptible to antibiotics; their plasmid profiles were also identical. The highest attack rate detected was 55.7% in an omelet eaten 24 hours before (p < 0.001). Furthermore, it was the riskiest food according to the case-control study (OR=7.88; 95% CI=3.68-16.89). The food samples were unobtainable because they had been discarded. All of the hospitalized cases recovered, and none of the control cultures of stools yielded the pathogen after three weeks. In conclusion, although our results didn't indicate the exact source of the outbreak microbiologically, the omelet was considered to be the source based on the epidemiological proofs.
