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Elizabeth Cavallaro,
Kashmira Date,
Carlota Medus,
Stephanie Meyer,
Benjamin Miller,
Clara Kim,
Scott Nowicki, Shaun Cosgrove,
David Sweat,
Quyen Phan, [......],
Peter Gerner-Smidt,
Robert M Hoekstra,
Colin Schwensohn,
Adam Langer,
Samir V Sodha,
Michael C Rogers,
Frederick J Angulo,
Robert V Tauxe,
Ian T Williams,
Casey Barton Behravesh
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ABSTRACT: Contaminated food ingredients can affect multiple products, each distributed through various channels and consumed in multiple settings. Beginning in November 2008, we investigated a nationwide outbreak of salmonella infections.
A case was defined as laboratory-confirmed infection with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium occurring between September 1, 2008, and April 20, 2009. We conducted two case-control studies, product "trace-back," and environmental investigations.
Among 714 case patients identified in 46 states, 166 (23%) were hospitalized and 9 (1%) died. In study 1, illness was associated with eating any peanut butter (matched odds ratio, 2.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3 to 5.3), peanut butter-containing products (matched odds ratio, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.1 to 4.7), and frozen chicken products (matched odds ratio, 4.6; 95% CI, 1.7 to 14.7). Investigations of focal clusters and single cases associated with nine institutions identified a single institutional brand of peanut butter (here called brand X) distributed to all facilities. In study 2, illness was associated with eating peanut butter outside the home (matched odds ratio, 3.9; 95% CI, 1.6 to 10.0) and two brands of peanut butter crackers (brand A: matched odds ratio, 17.2; 95% CI, 6.9 to 51.5; brand B: matched odds ratio, 3.6; 95% CI, 1.3 to 9.8). Both cracker brands were made from brand X peanut paste. The outbreak strain was isolated from brand X peanut butter, brand A crackers, and 15 other products. A total of 3918 peanut butter-containing products were recalled between January 10 and April 29, 2009.
Contaminated peanut butter and peanut products caused a nationwide salmonellosis outbreak. Ingredient-driven outbreaks are challenging to detect and may lead to widespread contamination of numerous food products.
New England Journal of Medicine 08/2011; 365(7):601-10. · 53.30 Impact Factor
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Casey Barton Behravesh,
Rajal K Mody,
Jessica Jungk,
Linda Gaul,
John T Redd,
Sanny Chen, Shaun Cosgrove,
Erin Hedican,
David Sweat,
Lina Chávez-Hauser, [......],
Elizabeth Russo,
Matthew Mikoleit,
Lisa Theobald,
Peter Gerner-Smidt,
Robert M Hoekstra,
Frederick J Angulo,
David L Swerdlow,
Robert V Tauxe,
Patricia M Griffin,
Ian T Williams
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ABSTRACT: Raw produce is an increasingly recognized vehicle for salmonellosis. We investigated a nationwide outbreak that occurred in the United States in 2008.
We defined a case as diarrhea in a person with laboratory-confirmed infection with the outbreak strain of Salmonella enterica serotype Saintpaul. Epidemiologic, traceback, and environmental studies were conducted.
Among the 1500 case subjects, 21% were hospitalized, and 2 died. In three case-control studies of cases not linked to restaurant clusters, illness was significantly associated with eating raw tomatoes (matched odds ratio, 5.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.6 to 30.3); eating at a Mexican-style restaurant (matched odds ratio, 4.6; 95% CI, 2.1 to ∞) and eating pico de gallo salsa (matched odds ratio, 4.0; 95% CI, 1.5 to 17.8), corn tortillas (matched odds ratio, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.2 to 5.0), or salsa (matched odds ratio, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.1 to 3.9); and having a raw jalapeño pepper in the household (matched odds ratio, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.2 to 7.6). In nine analyses of clusters associated with restaurants or events, jalapeño peppers were implicated in all three clusters with implicated ingredients, and jalapeño or serrano peppers were an ingredient in an implicated item in the other three clusters. Raw tomatoes were an ingredient in an implicated item in three clusters. The outbreak strain was identified in jalapeño peppers collected in Texas and in agricultural water and serrano peppers on a Mexican farm. Tomato tracebacks did not converge on a source.
Although an epidemiologic association with raw tomatoes was identified early in this investigation, subsequent epidemiologic and microbiologic evidence implicated jalapeño and serrano peppers. This outbreak highlights the importance of preventing raw-produce contamination.
New England Journal of Medicine 02/2011; 364(10):918-27. · 53.30 Impact Factor
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Lihua Xiao,
Michele C Hlavsa,
Jonathan Yoder,
Christina Ewers,
Theresa Dearen,
Wenli Yang,
Randall Nett,
Stephanie Harris,
Sarah M Brend,
Meghan Harris, [......],
Amy L Valderrama, Shaun Cosgrove,
Karen Xavier,
Nancy Hall,
Sylvia Romero,
Stephen Young,
Stephanie P Johnston,
Michael Arrowood,
Sharon Roy,
Michael J Beach
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ABSTRACT: Subtyping was conducted in late 2007 on 57 Cryptosporidium specimens from sporadic cases in Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, and Iowa. One previously rare Cryptosporidium hominis subtype was identified in 40 cases (70%) from all four states, and the Cryptosporidium horse genotype was identified in a pet shop employee with severe clinical symptoms.
Journal of clinical microbiology 08/2009; 47(9):3017-20. · 4.16 Impact Factor
