Large Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak with prolonged transmission attributed to an infected food handler, Texas, 2002

In March 2002, an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) infections occurred at a convention centre in Dallas, Texas and continued for 6 weeks. We conducted epidemiological studies, obtained clinical and environmental cultures, and interviewed employees to identify risk factors for infection. From...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Epidemiology and infection 2009-03, Vol.137 (3), p.417-427
Main Authors: BEATTY, M. E., SHEVICK, G., SHUPE-RICKSECKER, K., BANNISTER, E., TULU, A., LANCASTER, K., ALEXANDER, N., ZELLNER, D. E., LYSZKOWICZ, E., BRADEN, C. R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Banquets
Disease outbreak
Disease Outbreaks
Diseases
Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field
Epidemiology
Feces - microbiology
Female
Food Contamination
Food Handling
Food Microbiology
Food preparation
Foodborne illnesses
gastroenteritis
Humans
Kitchens
Male
Professional cooking
Risk Factors
Salmonella
Salmonella Enteritidis
Salmonella enteritidis - isolation & purification
Salmonella Food Poisoning - epidemiology
Salmonella Food Poisoning - transmission
Salsas
Surveys and Questionnaires
Texas - epidemiology
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Summary:In March 2002, an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) infections occurred at a convention centre in Dallas, Texas and continued for 6 weeks. We conducted epidemiological studies, obtained clinical and environmental cultures, and interviewed employees to identify risk factors for infection. From 17 March–25 April 2002, the implicated hotel kitchen catered 41 multi-day conferences attended by 9790 persons. We received 617 illness reports from residents of 46 states. Sauces or items served with sauces were implicated in three cohort studies. SE phage-type 8 was identified as the agent. Eleven food service employees, including one who prepared sauces and salsa, had stool cultures that yielded SE. Although the original source was not determined, prolonged transmission resulted in the largest food handler-associated outbreak reported to date, affecting persons from 46 US states. Transmission ended with implementation of policies to screen food handlers and exclude those whose stool cultures yielded salmonellas.
ISSN:0950-2688
1469-4409
DOI:10.1017/S0950268808001362