In early February 2017, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Public Health Laboratory (PHL) identified 2 case isolates of Salmonella Enteritidis with the same PFGE pattern through routine surveillance. One of the 2 cases attended a going away party at a private home on January 29. A total of 6 cases were identified, including five confirmed cases and one probable case. One person was hospitalized. No one died.

Three of the 5 confirmed cases and the probable case attended the January 29th party; the remaining two cases did not attend the party but shopped at the store where some of the party food was purchased. All cases were of Ethiopian ethnicity.

Approximately 12 people attended the party. A case-control analysis of foods eaten at the party was conducted. Eating kitfo, a dish made with raw or rare ground beef and spices, was statistically associated with illness, (4 of 4 cases vs. 0 of 4 controls; odds ratio 81.0; 95% CI, 1.3 to 5046.0; p=0.03).

One of the two cases who were not associated with the party also reported eating kitfo before onset of illness made with ground beef purchased from the same grocery store as the ground beef from the party. The other case who didn't attend the party shopped regularly at the same grocery store but denied eating ground beef purchased there.

An environmental health specialist from the Minneapolis Health Department conducted an investigation at the grocery store. The store had an attached restaurant, and they were grinding beef on site to sell at the restaurant. They were ordered to discontinue this practice as they were not licensed to sell raw meats. The environmental health specialist reported that the kitchen where the raw beef was ground was very small, indicating a concern for cross-contamination.