Published Date: 2005-08-04 23:50:00
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Salmonellosis, precooked chicken - Spain (02)
Archive Number: 20050804.2270
SALMONELLOSIS, PRECOOKED CHICKEN - SPAIN (02)
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Date: Thu 4 Aug 2005
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: International Herald Tribune [edited]
<http://www.iht.com/getina/files/266216.html>
Salmonella cases climb to over 1000 as 1st death in outbreak is confirmed
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Over 1000 people have been affected by the largest Salmonella
outbreak in Spanish history, after consuming contaminated precooked
chickens sold last week under the SADA and Pimpollo brand names,
according to figures released yesterday, 3 Aug 2005, by the consumers
association FACUA. A 90-year-old man died in Valencia on Tue 2 Aug
2005 as a result of the salmonella infection, and a further 141
people were still being treated on Wed 3 Aug 2005 evening in several
hospitals across the 13 regions affected by the outbreak.
"For the time being, most patients show only slight symptoms of
dehydration common to most diarrhea-related disorders," Health
Ministry sources said yesterday [3 Aug 2005]. "As usual with
salmonella cases, complications only arise in children, the elderly
and people suffering from other pathologies that are aggravated by
food poisoning. Fortunately, we have barely seen any such
complications," read a ministry statement.
SADA sources, meanwhile, confirmed that the firm has withdrawn from
the market 150 000 units of its precooked SADA and Pimpollo chicken,
and that it will destroy them in collaboration with health
authorities. No contaminated products remain in the market, said SADA
Director General Javier Rodriguez. The company found there were
problems with some of its products on Wed 28 Jul 2005 and proceeded
immediately to halt distribution. 2 days before that, however,
regional health authorities in Castilla-La Mancha had conducted a
health inspection of SADA's affected plant and found no breaches of
health safety.
The source of the problem was in a slightly bent gravy distributing
tube in the company's Toledo plant, which caused remains of old gravy
to accumulate over time.
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[The accumulation of gravy in a distributing tube is being pointed to
as the cause of the contamination. No details of the ingredients in
or the processing of the gravy are given. The serotype of the
organism involved is still not provided. - Mod.LL]