title: An outbreak of Salmonella Hadar associated with roast rabbit in a restaurant.
abstract: In August 1997, an outbreak of gastroenteritis from Salmonella Hadar phage type 2 occurred among customers of a restaurant in Rimini (Emilia-Romagna region, Italy). Twenty-nine people who had eaten food prepared in the restaurant on 2 or 3 August had symptoms of acute gastroenteritis. The infection was culture-confirmed in 24 cases and the stool specimens of four healthy people were positive for Salmonella Hadar. Twelve people had to be hospitalized and a 3-year old girl died. The case-control study identified roast rabbit as the likely vehicle of infection (OR: 6.00; CI 95%: 1.65-22.83). The microbiological investigation carried out on food taken from the restaurant confirmed high levels of Salmonella Hadar in a sample of roast rabbit. Since the rabbit was well cooked, the food contamination likely occurred after cooking. Poor hygienic conditions found in the restaurant, together with inappropriate food-handling practices and inadequate storage temperatures may have contributed to spread to other foods and the severity of the outbreak.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Public Health, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bisbini
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Leoni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nanetti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D005513:Food Inspection; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011817:Rabbits; D012478:Salmonella Food Poisoning / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D019779:Salmonella enterica / Q000302:isolation & purification*