OBJECTIVES: To investigate an increase in the number of Salmonella enteritidis isolates detected in a large hospital to ascertain whether it was due to a nosocomial source, to identify the mechanisms of transmission, and to institute effective control measures to prevent future episodes. DESIGN: Observational study, survey of all microbiological samples positive for S. enteritidis detected in the hospital, outbreak investigation, and review of the literature. SETTING: A tertiary-care teaching hospital for adults in Barcelona, Spain. RESULTS: During a 7-month period from May to November 1998, we identified 22 inpatients with S. enteritidis infection for whom nosocomial acquisition was strongly suspected. The attack rate was 0.138 per 1,000 patient-days. All affected patients were immunosuppressed and overall mortality was 41% (9 of 22). A sample of a meal cooked in the kitchen was culture positive for S. enteritidis. All isolates shared the same antibiotic susceptibility pattern and all except one shared the same pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern, but PFGE could not differentiate between outbreak-related and control strains. After compliance with kitchen hygiene procedures was emphasized and cleansing was intensified, no more cases were detected. CONCLUSIONS: Apparently, sporadic cases of S. enteritidis may be part of an outbreak with a low attack rate. A small but persistent inoculum affecting only individuals with special predisposition for Salmonella infection might account for this. Suspicion should be raised in hospitals and institutions with a highly susceptible population.
OBJECTIVES: To investigate an increase in the number of Salmonella enteritidis isolates detected in a large hospital to ascertain whether it was due to a nosocomial source, to identify the mechanisms of transmission, and to institute effective control measures to prevent future episodes. DESIGN: Observational study, survey of all microbiological samples positive for S. enteritidis detected in the hospital, outbreak investigation, and review of the literature. SETTING: A tertiary-care teaching hospital for adults in Barcelona, Spain. RESULTS: During a 7-month period from May to November 1998, we identified 22 inpatients with S. enteritidis infection for whom nosocomial acquisition was strongly suspected. The attack rate was 0.138 per 1,000 patient-days. All affected patients were immunosuppressed and overall mortality was 41% (9 of 22). A sample of a meal cooked in the kitchen was culture positive for S. enteritidis. All isolates shared the same antibiotic susceptibility pattern and all except one shared the same pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern, but PFGE could not differentiate between outbreak-related and control strains. After compliance with kitchen hygiene procedures was emphasized and cleansing was intensified, no more cases were detected. CONCLUSIONS: Apparently, sporadic cases of S. enteritidis may be part of an outbreak with a low attack rate. A small but persistent inoculum affecting only individuals with special predisposition for Salmonella infection might account for this. Suspicion should be raised in hospitals and institutions with a highly susceptible population.
Authors: Md Hasan Al Banna; Md Shafiqul Islam Khan; Humayra Rezyona; Abdul-Aziz Seidu; Mohammad Tazrian Abid; Tasnu Ara; Satyajit Kundu; Bright Opoku Ahinkorah; John Elvis Hagan; Md Abu Tareq; Musammet Rasheda Begum; Mohammad Faizul Tawhid Chowdhury; Thomas Schack Journal: Nutrients Date: 2022-06-18 Impact factor: 6.706
Authors: Christina Frank; Udo Buchholz; Monika Maass; Arthur Schröder; Karl-Hans Bracht; Paul-Gerhard Domke; Wolfgang Rabsch; Gerhard Fell Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2007-09-13 Impact factor: 3.295