An outbreak of food poisoning in Tamil Nadu associated with Yersinia enterocolitica.
An outbreak of food poisoning in a Tamil Nadu village, affecting 25 of 48 individuals who participated in a feast, was investigated. The risk of developing illness was associated with consumption of buttermilk (relative risk 3.8). None of the food items consumed during the feast was available for analysis. Toxin-producing Y. enterocolitica (serotype 3, biotype 4) was grown from 1 of 11 stool samples from affected individuals, as well as from a water sample from the source used to dilute the buttermilk. High titres of antibody of Yersinia were detected in 2 of 12 patients but in neither of the two groups of controls. Toxin production was noted in buttermilk incubated for 6 h with Y. enterocolitica. This is the first report from India of a food poisoning outbreak associated with this organism.
Abraham
M
M
Department of Community Health, Christian Medical College, Vellore.
Pai
M
M
Kang
G
G
Asokan
G V
GV
Magesh
S R
SR
Bhattacharji
S
S
Ramakrishna
B S
BS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D008892:Milk / Q000382:microbiology; D015009:Yersinia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015008:Yersinia enterocolitica