[Clinical and epidemiological description of severe outbreak of foodborne infection by Salmonella Enteritidis].
BACKGROUND
Foodborne diseases have increased considerably.


OBJECTIVE
To report a foodborne outbreak, remarking the importance of early notification to activate the epidemiological surveillance system.


RESULTS
During February 2011 we observed a Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak. 31.6% of the cases were seen in the same Emergency Care Unit where all required intravenous fluid rehydration, and 41.7% were hospitalized because of severe dehydration. In the Emergency Room 45.5% of cases required a second visit to be diagnosed correctly.


CONCLUSIONS
Physicians under report the cases of this disease, delaying the activation of the epidemiological surveillance system.


CONCLUSIONS
Besides providing good treatment to patients, physicians need to be qualified to recognize foodborne diseases and communicate early the suspicion of an outbreak to the epidemiological surveillance system in order to prevent new cases of disease in the community.
Departamento de Medicina Familiar, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile. dgarciah@med.puc.cl
Diego
D
García-Huidobro
Mónica
M
Carreño
Sergio
S
Alcayaga
Jenny
J
Ulloa
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002677:Chile; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012478:Salmonella Food Poisoning / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D012477:Salmonella enteritidis