Bacteriological Studies on an Outbreak of Food Poisoning Caused by Salmonella Enteritidis

Abstract

In September 1998, an outbreak of food poisoning caused by Salmonella Enteritidis was reported in Shiga Prefecture. Bacteriological and epidemiological studies identified frozen cream puffs as a source of this food poisoning. These frozen cream puffs contaminated by Salmonella Enteritidis had been produced by a manufacturer in Shiga Prefecture. Between the beginning of September and the beginning of October, these frozen cream puffs had been sold in 19 stores (17 of 19 stores were in Shiga Prefecture). Between the beginning of September and the beginning of November, many sporadic cases of Salmonella Enteritidis infection were reported that were suspected to be associated with this food poisoning as a result of drug susceptibility, plasmid profile, phage type and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.