title: An outbreak of Salmonella typhimurium DT170 associated with kebab meat and yogurt relish.
abstract: During July 1995, an outbreak of Salmonella typhimurium definitive type (DT) 170, an unusual strain, occurred in South Wales. A case-control study found that illness was associated with eating kebabs (odds ratio undefined, P = 0.002), doner kebabs (odds ratio 7.9, 95 % confidence interval 1.5-20.5, P = 0.02) and kebabs with yoghurt based relish (odds ratio undefined, P = 0.009) but not with eating kebabs with mayonnaise-based relish (odds ratio 2.4, 95 % confidence interval 0.4-13.9, P = 0.53). Environmental investigations discovered a complex web of producers and wholesale suppliers. Kebab meat and yoghurt had been supplied to the two main implicated outlets by a single wholesaler. Samples of raw minced lamb and several environmental swabs taken at the wholesaler were positive for S. typhimurium DT170. Blood-stained, unsealed yoghurt pots were observed to be stored under a rack of raw lamb. Investigators of food poisoning outbreaks linked to takeaway food should consider cross-contaminated relishes and dressings as well as undercooked meat as potential vehicles of infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Medicine, South Glamorgan Health Authority, Cardiff.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Salmon
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nehaul
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mably
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wafford
authors.forename: M Z
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Nolan-Farrell
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gardner
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012478:Salmonella Food Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012756:Sheep; D014852:Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D015014:Yogurt / Q000382:microbiology*