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National outbreak of Salmonella serotype saintpaul infections: importance of Texas restaurant investigations in implicating jalapeño peppers
- Source :
- PLoS ONE, Vol 6, Iss 2, p e16579 (2011), PLoS ONE
- Publication Year :
- 2011
- Publisher :
- Public Library of Science (PLoS), 2011.
-
Abstract
- BACKGROUND: In May 2008, PulseNet detected a multistate outbreak of Salmonella enterica serotype Saintpaul infections. Initial investigations identified an epidemiologic association between illness and consumption of raw tomatoes, yet cases continued. In mid-June, we investigated two clusters of outbreak strain infections in Texas among patrons of Restaurant A and two establishments of Restaurant Chain B to determine the outbreak's source. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We conducted independent case-control studies of Restaurant A and B patrons. Patients were matched to well controls by meal date. We conducted restaurant environmental investigations and traced the origin of implicated products. Forty-seven case-patients and 40 controls were enrolled in the Restaurant A study. Thirty case-patients and 31 controls were enrolled in the Restaurant Chain B study. In both studies, illness was independently associated with only one menu item, fresh salsa (Restaurant A: matched odds ratio [mOR], 37; 95% confidence interval [CI], 7.2-386; Restaurant B: mOR, 13; 95% CI 1.3-infinity). The only ingredient in common between the two salsas was raw jalapeño peppers. Cultures of jalapeño peppers collected from an importer that supplied Restaurant Chain B and serrano peppers and irrigation water from a Mexican farm that supplied that importer with jalapeño and serrano peppers grew the outbreak strain. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Jalapeño peppers, contaminated before arrival at the restaurants and served in uncooked fresh salsas, were the source of these infections. Our investigations, critical in understanding the broader multistate outbreak, exemplify an effective approach to investigating large foodborne outbreaks. Additional measures are needed to reduce produce contamination.
- Subjects :
- Serotype
Bacterial Diseases
Male
Research Report
Salmonella
Veterinary medicine
Salmonellosis
Restaurants
Epidemiology
lcsh:Medicine
medicine.disease_cause
Disease Outbreaks
Gastrointestinal Infections
Child
lcsh:Science
Epidemiological Methods
Molecular Epidemiology
Multidisciplinary
Salmonella enterica
Middle Aged
Texas
Infectious Diseases
Child, Preschool
Salmonella Infections
Medicine
Female
Salmonella Food Poisoning
Public Health
Bacterial and Foodborne Illness
Capsicum
Research Article
Disease Ecology
Adult
medicine.medical_specialty
Infectious Disease Control
Adolescent
Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Young Adult
Environmental health
medicine
Humans
Serotyping
Aged
business.industry
lcsh:R
Case-control study
Pulsenet
Outbreak
Odds ratio
Case-Control Studies
lcsh:Q
business
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 19326203
- Volume :
- 6
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- PLoS ONE
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....97b6236a6edf86ce1ddc5dc69f93a46c