Emergence of Salmonella enteritidis phage type 4 in the Caribbean: case-control study in Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies

Clin Infect Dis. 2001 Mar 15;32(6):890-6. doi: 10.1086/319344. Epub 2001 Mar 14.

Abstract

A prospective case-control study involving 46 case patients and 92 age- and neighborhood-matched control subjects was conducted in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) between March 1998 and May 1999 to determine the etiology, sources, and risk factors for Salmonella enteritidis (SE) infection. SE infection in T&T was found to be associated with the consumption of shell eggs, and in particular raw or undercooked eggs. SE isolates from 30 (88%) of 34 patients and from 9 implicated egg or egg-containing food samples were phage type 4. Homemade eggnog and ice cream, cake batter, and egg-containing beverages were the main raw egg-containing foods, reflecting the cultural practices of the people of T&T. Public health education on the risks of eating raw or undercooked eggs, thorough cooking of all egg dishes, and refrigeration of shell eggs and egg dishes; studies tracing infected eggs to their sources; and testing of flocks of layer chickens for SE are needed to reduce the incidence of this infection.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Eggs
  • Female
  • Food
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Prospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Salmonella Food Poisoning / epidemiology*
  • Salmonella Food Poisoning / etiology
  • Salmonella Food Poisoning / microbiology
  • Salmonella enteritidis / classification
  • Salmonella enteritidis / isolation & purification*
  • Trinidad and Tobago / epidemiology