Imported fresh sugar peas as suspected source of an outbreak of Shigella sonnei in Denmark, April-May 2009.
We report on an outbreak of Shigella sonnei infections involving ten cases notified through the laboratory surveillance system in Denmark in April and May. The likely source was consumption of fresh, raw sugar peas (sugar snaps) imported from Africa. This conclusion was based on interviews with cases and on the occurrence of a similar outbreak one month later in Norway. Fresh imported produce may occasionally be contaminated with pathogenic bacteria even when sold as ready-to-eat.
Muller
L
L
Department of Epidemiology, Statens Serum Institut (Danish National Institute of Health, SSI), Copenhagen, Denmark. lum@ssi.dk
Jensen
T
T
Petersen
R F
RF
Mølbak
K
K
Ethelberg
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003132:Commerce; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004405:Dysentery, Bacillary / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018532:Pisum sativum / Q000382:microbiology*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D012764:Shigella sonnei; D055815:Young Adult