Published Date: 1998-07-30 23:50:00
Subject: PRO/EDR> Salmonella enteritidis, eggs - Ireland
Archive Number: 19980730.1449

SALMONELLA ENTERITIDIS, EGGS - IRELAND
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A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.healthnet.org/programs/promed.html>
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1998 09:56:24 -0700
Source: Eurosurveillance Weekly, July 30, 1998
Via: Dr. James Chin, CDPC-mail <jchin@cdpc.com>

A month of _Salmonella enteritidis_ outbreaks in Ireland. Long term public
health benefits?
Four outbreaks of _Salmonella enteritidis_ infection associated with eggs,
three of which were linked to the same supplier, occurred in the Republic
of Ireland between 18 June and 16 July 1998. Local health boards conducted
analytical studies to investigate three of the outbreaks, two of which
implicated a food vehicle made with raw shell eggs. A cohort study of one
outbreak investigated 52 people at risk (including 23 of the 25 cases) and
found a highly significant association between illness and the consumption
of baked Alaska [a dessert containing ice cream] prepared using raw shell
eggs (relative risk 12.25, p=0.00000002). In another outbreak 90 cases had
eaten at a Chinese restaurant. A case control study conducted early in the
outbreak investigation, with 40 cases and 29 controls, implicated egg fried
rice (prepared using rice, raw shell eggs and oil) as the vehicle of
infection. Ninety-five per cent of cases reported eating the rice (odds
ratio 13.4; p less than 0.001). Eggs from the premises are being examined.
The Irish Department of Agriculture contacted the department of agriculture
in the country that supplied the suspect eggs. That country's
investigations identified a _Salmonella_-infected flock. The outbreaks
attracted considerable media attention, which the Food Safety Authority of
Ireland exploited to improve food safety in two ways. Firstly, in
collaboration with the investigating health boards and the Department of
Health, it provided advice on safe preparation of products containing eggs,
which was displayed prominently in national newspapers and reported widely
on national television and radio news. Secondly, the Food Safety Authority
called for retailers to protect their customers by obtaining eggs from
flocks free of S. enteritidis. Major retailers were contacted individually
and encouraged to obtain eggs from producers that follow strict salmonella
eradication policies. Some major retailers have already instituted this
policy. It is hoped that this cooperation between public health officials
and the retail sector will promote food producers both within and outside
Ireland that adopt salmonella eradication policies.
Reported by Dr Noel McCarthy (nmccarthy@fsai.ie), EPIET Fellow, Food Safety
Authority of Ireland, in collaboration with the departments of public
health medicine of the Eastern Health Board and the North-Western Health
Board, Ireland.
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