1993 Outbreak of Campylobacter and Salmonella Heidelberg at a Brooklyn, New York Nursing Home Linked to Consumption of Chopped Liver
A mixed outbreak of Campylobacter jejuni and Salmonella Heidelberg occurred at a Brooklyn, New York, nursing home. Of the 93 symptomatic nursing home residents who submitted stool specimens for culture, the cultures were positive for S. heidelberg in 24 (26%), C. jejuni in 14 (15%), and both microorganisms in 25 (27%). Only the pureed diet was associated highly with infection by either Salmonella or Campylobacter. Among the 42 pureed foods served during the 5 days before the outbreak, five meat or poultry items were associated most strongly with culture positivity. Of these five meat items, only a chopped-liver salad was implicated by the two employees reporting illness. A reported food-handling error occurred when ground, cooked chicken livers were placed in a bowl containing raw chicken-liver juices.
- Outbreak began:
- Unknown 1993
- Affected Country:
- US
- Affected States/Territories:
- New York
- Organism(s):
-
- Campylobacter, Salmonella
- Vehicle(s):
- Poultry, Chicken, Chicken liver, Chopped, Chicken Liver Salad
- Molecular Results Available:
- Unknown
- Test Results:
- None
- Location(s):
- Nursing Home
- Brand Name(s):
- Total ill:
- 119
- Number ill by Case Definition Known:
- Unknown
- Number Laboratory Confirmed Cases:
- N/A
- Number Probable Cases:
- N/A
- Number Possible Cases:
- N/A
- Anyone Hospitalized:
- Unknown
- Number Hospitalized:
- Unknown
- Any Deaths:
- Unknown
- Number Dead:
- Unknown
- Any References:
- Yes
-
- References:
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9120239?dopt=Ab
- Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol, 1997 Feb, 18(2), 115 - 21