Survival of Shigella boydii 18 in bean salad.

A strain of Shigella boydii 18 involved in a bean salad outbreak and S. boydii 18 ATCC 35966 were used to inoculate bean salad. Bean salad samples were stored at 4 or 23 degrees C. At 4 degrees C, the S. boydii survived for the duration of the shelf life of the salad but did not grow. At 23 degrees C, both strains increased by two orders of magnitude by day 2 and decreased rapidly thereafter. This demonstrates the importance of proper storage in preventing the outgrowth of foodborne pathogens.