Published Date: 2007-01-16 00:00:00
Subject: PRO/AH> Salmonellosis, meat slicer - USA (GA)(02): 2006
Archive Number: 20070116.0217

SALMONELLOSIS, MEAT SLICER - USA (GEORGIA)(02): 2006
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Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2007
From: Jack Brondum <Jack.Brondum@co.hennepin.mn.us>

A little more background -- and a bit of recent history -- on the
role inanimate objects can play in Salmonella transmission. My
former colleague, Ken Spitalny, MD, worked up an outbreak of mixed
salmonelloses (serotypes Chester, Tennessee, and Habana) involving
more than 40 persons at a Vermont hospital in 1981, in which a meat
slicer was also inculpated. Secondary transmission by hospital staff
was the likely cause of at least 2 nosocomial cases as well.
The abstract of the report can be found here:
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=6701583&dopt=Abstract>
--
Jack Brondum, DVM, PhD
Epidemiology and Environmental Health
Hennepin County Dept. of Human Services and Public Health
Hopkins, MN
<Jack.Brondum@co.hennepin.mn.us>

[ProMED thanks Dr. Brondum for his comments. The abstract from
Spitalny KC, Okowitz EN, Vogt RL: Salmonellosis outbreak at a Vermont
hospital. South Med J. 1984;77: 168-72 is below:

"An outbreak of gastrointestinal illness occurred at a hospital in
northern Vermont during Sep 1981. Of the 292 hospital employees
surveyed, 43 had diarrheal illness; 12 of them had positive cultures
for Salmonella, serotypes chester, tennessee, or habana. In addition,
three individuals who were culture-positive but did not have diarrhea
were counted among the cases. Illness was related to eating roast
beef or cold cuts (P less than .01) in the month of September. One
food specimen, an unopened package of precooked roast beef supplied
by a New York processor, was found to be contaminated by Salmonella,
serotypes chester, tennessee, and livingston. Cold cuts were believed
to be secondarily contaminated by a meat slicer. 3 of 80 patients
whose charts were reviewed had nosocomial diarrhea; 2 of them had
positive cultures for Salmonella, serotype chester. Secondary
transmission of Salmonella from hospital staff was the likely source
for at least 2 of the patients." - Mod.LL]

See Also

Salmonellosis, meat slicer - USA (GA): 2006 20070116.0208
2006
----
Salmonellosis, serotype Norfolk, tomatoes - USA: corr Newport 20061204.3421
Salmonellosis, serotype Norfolk, tomatoes - USA (Multistate) 20061202.3409
Salmonellosis, serotype Typhimurium - N. America (03) 20061109.3214
Salmonellosis, serotype Typhimurium - N. America (USA, Canada) 20061104.3168
Salmonellosis, serotype Typhimurium - Canada (NB, PEI) 20061103.3156
Salmonellosis, serotype Typhimurium - USA (multistate)(03) 20061103.3152
Salmonellosis, boiled peanuts - USA (SC) 20061102.3135
Salmonellosis, serotype Typhimurium - USA (multistate): RFI 20061030.3110
Salmonellosis, serotype Montevideo - UK (04) 20060721.2008
Salmonellosis, serotype Montevideo - UK: chocolate recall 20060625.1770
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