A comparison of Salmonella enteritidis phage types from egg-associated outbreaks and implicated laying flocks.
Infections due to Salmonella enteritidis are increasing worldwide. In the United States, between 1985 and 1989, 78% of the S. enteritidis outbreaks in which a food vehicle was identified implicated a food containing raw or lightly cooked shell eggs. Under a US Department of Agriculture regulation published in 1990, eggs implicated in human food-borne S. enteritidis outbreaks were traced back to the source flock. The flock environment and the internal organs of a sample of hens were tested for S. enteritidis. We compared the S. enteritidis phage types of isolates from 18 human, egg-associated outbreaks and the 15 flocks implicated through traceback of these outbreaks. The predominant human outbreak phage type was recovered from the environment in 100% of implicated flocks and from the internal organs of hens in 88% of implicated flocks we tested. The results support the use of phage typing as a tool to identify flocks involved in human S. enteritidis outbreaks.
Altekruse
S
S
Food and Drug Administration, Washington, DC 20204.
Koehler
J
J
Hickman-Brenner
F
F
Tauxe
R V
RV
Ferris
K
K
D000818:Animals; D001434:Bacteriophage Typing; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002645:Chickens / Q000382:microbiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004531:Eggs / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012478:Salmonella Food Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D012483:Salmonella Phages; D012477:Salmonella enteritidis / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology