title: Confirmation of a Campylobacteriosis Outbreak Associated with Chicken Liver Pâté Using PFGE and WGS.
abstract: In May 2012, an outbreak of campylobacteriosis occurred in southern Sweden at a wedding reception affecting 44 persons. A total of 17 cases were notified (13 were culture positive for Campylobacter spp.). Epidemiological investigation suspected chicken liver pâté as the source of infection. The liver pâté had been deliberately undercooked, lightly fried to keep the right texture and mixed with spices. Campylobacter isolates from six cases as well as three Campylobacter isolates from chicken flocks previously raised by the producer delivering the liver were subtyped using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and whole-genome sequencing. Indistinguishable PFGE profiles were identified among five human and one chicken C. jejuni isolates as well among the two C. coli isolates, one from a human case and one from a chicken. WGS supported the PFGE findings; the six C. jejuni isolates belonged to one cluster. All these six isolates were of MLST type ST 50 (ST-CC 21). This study highlights the importance of a combination of strict biosecurity at the flock-level as well as adequate cooking of chicken liver to prevent transmission of Campylobacter to humans.
authors.affiliation: National Veterinary Institute, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lahti
authors.affiliation: The Public Health Agency of Sweden, Solna, Sweden.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Löfdahl
authors.affiliation: National Veterinary Institute, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ågren
authors.affiliation: National Veterinary Institute, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hansson
authors.affiliation: National Veterinary Institute, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Olsson Engvall
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D002645:Chickens; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology*
keywords: 
  Campylobacter
  ; Chicken; Liver; Outbreak; pulsed-field gel electrophoresis; whole-genome sequencing