TY - JOUR AU - Knoblauch, Astrid M AU - Bratschi, Martin W AU - Zuske, Meike K AU - Althaus, Denise AU - Stephan, Roger AU - Hächler, Herbert AU - Baumgartner, Andreas AU - Prager, Rita AU - Rabsch, Wolfgang AU - Altpeter, Ekkehardt AU - Jost, Marianne AU - Mäusezahl, Mirjam AU - Hatz, Christoph AU - Kiefer, Sabine PY - 2015/09/20 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - Cross-border outbreak of Salmonella enterica ssp. enterica serovar Bovismorbificans: multiple approaches for an outbreak investigation in Germany and Switzerland JF - Swiss Medical Weekly JA - Swiss Med Wkly VL - 145 IS - 3940 SE - Original article DO - 10.4414/smw.2015.14182 UR - https://smw.ch/index.php/smw/article/view/2078 SP - w14182 AB - <p><p>QUESTION UNDER STUDY: In July 2014, an outbreak of <em>Salmonella enterica</em> ssp. <em>enterica</em> serovar Bovismorbificans was detected in Switzerland. The goal of the outbreak investigation was to rapidly identify and eliminate the contamination source in order to prevent new cases.</p> <p>METHODS: A case-case study design was applied comprising reported cases of <em>S</em>. Bovismorbificans and cases of other serovars. A trawling questionnaire was administered by telephone interview. Data were collected for 34 cases (20 <em>S</em>. Bovismorbificans and 14 <em>Salmonella</em> spp.) pertaining to food consumption during the 72 hours prior to symptom onset.</p> <p>RESULTS: A statistically significant association between an <em>S</em>. Bovismorbificans infection and the consumption of ‘salads’ (odds ratio [OR] 14.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.47–138.27) as well as the consumption of ‘sprouts’ (OR 10.6, 95% CI 1.16–97.59) was found. Principal places of consumption of ‘salads’ and ‘sprouts’ in outbreak cases were restaurants in southern Germany (80.0%, 95% CI 56.3%–94.3%). Microbiological analysis in Germany identified <em>S</em>. Bovismorbificans on sprouts, and genotype analysis confirmed that Swiss and German cases shared the same outbreak strain. The contaminated products were removed from the market in Germany, preventing an on-going outbreak.</p> <p>CONCLUSION: The combination of the applied methods and the collaboration between the two countries proved to be crucial elements of this investigation. A series of sprouts-associated salmonellosis outbreaks underpin the importance of this vegetable as a potential food-borne pathogen carrier.</p></p> ER -