title: Historical outbreak of Salmonella hadar.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This article reports a historical outbreak of Salmonella hadar in a maternity setting. The outbreak occurred following admission of an infected index case, with transmission to 11 other individuals over a three-month period in a maternity and neonatal unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  Despite rigorous assessment of clinical practices, screening of patients and staff, and review of disinfection and sterilization policies, the outbreak was difficult to control. This possibly reflects the capacity of S. hadar to survive well in the environment, and cause prolonged and asymptomatic carriage with intermittent shedding.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It is likely that the index case was a mother who had contracted infection after eating suspect food. Additionally, infection may have been perpetuated by shared use of tubes of yellow soft paraffin for lubrication of digital rectal thermometers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This outbreak emphasizes the difficulties in controlling outbreaks of S. hadar infection in an obstetric/neonatal setting, and also emphasizes the importance of early stool sampling in any patient with diarrhoeal symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Southern General Hospital, Glasgow, UK. Electronic address: ashutoshdeshpande@nhs.net.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Deshpande
authors.affiliation: Health Protection Scotland, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: E T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Curran
authors.affiliation: Forth Valley Royal Hospital, Larbert, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jamdar
authors.affiliation: Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inkster
authors.affiliation: Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D057138:Bacterial Shedding; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006771:Hospitals, Maternity; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D012480:Salmonella Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019779:Salmonella enterica / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*
keywords: Carriage; Infection control; Maternity; Neonates; Outbreak; Salmonella hadar; Staff screening