title: A summary of national reports of foodborne outbreaks of Salmonella Heidelberg infections in the United States: clues for disease prevention.
abstract: We analyzed national foodborne outbreak data from 1973 through 2001 to determine the proportion of Salmonella Heidelberg outbreaks caused by specific foods. Among 6633 outbreaks with known etiology, 184 (3%) were caused by Salmonella Heidelberg. A vehicle was identified in 101 outbreaks; at least 53 were poultry or egg-related. Three outbreaks were attributed to egg consumption, 17 to consumption of egg-containing foods, 25 to poultry, and 8 to foods containing poultry and eggs. Efforts to reduce illness due to Salmonella Heidelberg shouldensure that poultry and eggs are handled appropriately to minimize contamination and cross contamination.
authors.affiliation: Foodborne and Diarrheal Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chittick
authors.forename: Alana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sulka
authors.forename: Robert V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Tauxe
authors.forename: Alicia M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Fry
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004531:Eggs / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011200:Poultry; D012478:Salmonella Food Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology