Free range eggs does not mean safe eggs: an outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium linked to free range eggs

Authors

  • Timothy S Sloan-Gardner OzFoodNet, Communicable Disease Control Section, Health Protection Service, ACT Health, Holder, Australian Capital Territory
  • Natasha Waters Australian Capital Territory Government Analytical Laboratory, ACT Health, Holder, Australian Capital Territory
  • Alexandra Marmor OzFoodNet, Communicable Disease Control Section, Health Protection Service, ACT Health, Holder, Australian Capital Territory
  • William Mude Environmental Health Section, Health Protection Service, ACT Health, Holder, Australian Capital Territory

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33321/cdi.2019.43.52

Keywords:

outbreak, gastroenteritis, public health, Salmonella, eggs

Abstract

An outbreak of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium with closely related Multiple Locus Variable-number Tandem Repeat Analysis (MLVA) patterns was detected by routine surveillance by the Australian Capital Territory Health Protection Service in May 2018. The outbreak consisted of three cases in 2018 (MLVA 03-10-10-09-496) and one in 2016 (MLVA 03-10-09-09-496), who reported eating home-cooked eggs from the same local producer. Environmental investigations found significant problems with egg cleaning, hand hygiene and documentation of food safety procedures on farm. Environmental samples collected from the farm were found to have the same MLVA pattern as the 2018 cases. Although poor farm practices most likely led to contamination of the eggs, this outbreak highlights the need for consumer education about safe handling of eggs in the home.

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References

Australian Capital Territory. Public Health Act 1997. Available from: http://www.legislation.act.gov.au/a/1997-69/.

Moffatt CR, Musto J, Pingault N, Miller M, Stafford R, Gregory J et al. Salmonella Typhimurium and Outbreaks of Egg-Associated Disease in Australia, 2001 to 2011. Foodborne Pathog Dis. 2016;13(7):379–85.

Australian Eggs Limited. Annual report 2017/18. North Sydney, Australian Eggs Limited, 2018. Available from: https://www.australianeggs.org.au/who-we-are/annual-reports/

ACT Health, Food Business Egg Guide. ACT Government, ACT Health, Health Protection Service 2018. Available from: https://health.act.gov.au/businesses/food-safety-regulation/food-safety-training-and-resources

Food Safety Information Council. Eggs. [Internet.] Food safety Information Council. [Accessed: 25 Feb 2019.] Available from: http://foodsafety.asn.au/eggs/.

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Published

15/10/19

How to Cite

Sloan-Gardner, Timothy S, Natasha Waters, Alexandra Marmor, and William Mude. 2019. “Free Range Eggs Does Not Mean Safe Eggs: An Outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium Linked to Free Range Eggs”. Communicable Diseases Intelligence 43 (October). https://doi.org/10.33321/cdi.2019.43.52.

Issue

Vol. 43 (2019)

Section

Short report

Categories

License

Copyright (c) 2019 Communicable Diseases Intelligence

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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