Source attribution of salmonellosis by time and geography in New South Wales, Australia.

Background: Salmonella is a major cause of zoonotic illness around the world, arising from direct or indirect contact with a range of animal reservoirs. In the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW), salmonellosis is believed to be primarily foodborne, but the relative contribution of animal reservoirs is unknown.

Methods: The analysis included 4543 serotyped isolates from animal reservoirs and 30,073 serotyped isolates from domestically acquired human cases in NSW between January 2008 and August 2019.

Seven Salmonella Typhimurium Outbreaks in Australia Linked by Trace-Back and Whole Genome Sequencing.

Salmonella Typhimurium is a common cause of foodborne illness in Australia. We report on seven outbreaks of Salmonella Typhimurium multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA) 03-26-13-08-523 (European convention 2-24-12-7-0212) in three Australian states and territories investigated between November 2015 and March 2016. We identified a common egg grading facility in five of the outbreaks.

Foodborne Illness Outbreak Investigation in a High-Profile Sports Club.

A foodborne illness outbreak involving an elite sports team was investigated by a public health unit in Sydney, Australia. An epidemiological association was established between gastrointestinal illness and the consumption of food supplied by an external caterer, with a lamb meal most strongly associated with illness. Genetically identical Salmonella isolates were identified from clinical specimens, residual food items, and an environmental swab taken from the catering premises.

Clinical diagnosis and chemical confirmation of ciguatera fish poisoning in New South Wales, Australia.

Ciguatera fish poisoning is common in tropical and sub-tropical areas and larger fish (> 10 kg) are more susceptible to toxin accumulation with age. Although the coastal climate of northern New South Wales is considered sub-tropical, prior to 2014 there has only been 1 documented outbreak of ciguatera fish poisoning from fish caught in the region. During February and March 2014, 2 outbreaks of ciguatera fish poisoning involved 4 and 9 individuals, respectively, both following consumption of Spanish mackerel from northern New South Wales coastal waters (Evans Head and Scotts Head).

Salmonella typhimurium in the Australian egg industry: Multidisciplinary approach to addressing the public health challenge and future directions.

In Australia, numerous egg-related human Salmonella typhimurium outbreaks have prompted significant interest among public health authorities and the egg industry to jointly address this human health concern. Nationwide workshops on Salmonella and eggs were conducted in Australia for egg producers and regulatory authorities. State and national regulators represented Primary Production, Communicable Disease Control, Public Health and Food Safety, and Food Standards Australia and New Zealand.

Proportion of illness acquired by foodborne transmission for nine enteric pathogens in Australia: an expert elicitation.

Background: Estimates of the burden of illness acquired from food inform public health policy and prioritize interventions. A key component of such estimates is the proportion of illnesses that are acquired by foodborne transmission. In view of the shortage of requisite data, these proportions are commonly obtained through a process known as expert elicitation.

An outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium linked to a kebab takeaway shop.

This paper describes the public health investigation and response to a Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak in June 2010 in the Central Coast of New South Wales. Two complaints from people with acute gastrointestinal illness pointed to food from a kebab takeaway shop as the cause of their illness. Liaison between public health and food authorities ensured timely epidemiological and environmental investigations leading to prompt identification and elimination of the point source.

Use of a prohibition order after a large outbreak of gastroenteritis caused by norovirus among function attendees.

Introduction: In May 2011, an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis occurred among guests attending two functions (Function A and B) at a local function centre in Sydney, Australia. The Sydney South West Public Health Unit and the New South Wales (NSW) Food Authority sought to determine the cause of the outbreak and implement control measures.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was planned.

An outbreak of Salmonella typhimurium 108/170 at a privately catered barbeque at a Sydney sports club.

An outbreak of gastrointestinal illness was identified among attendees at a large community barbeque at a Sydney sports club on 30 January 2009. A retrospective cohort study was initiated, and attendees were identified through hospital emergency department gastroenteritis presentations, snowball recruitment through known cases, responders to linguistically specific press, and those returning to the venue the next week. A symptom and food history was collected from attendees, and stool samples were provided for microbiological investigation.

A survey of total hydrocyanic acid content in ready-to-eat cassava-based chips obtained in the Australian market in 2008.

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a widely consumed food in the tropics that naturally contains cyanogenic glycosides (cyanogens, mainly composed of linamarin, acetone cyanohydrin, and hydrocyanic acid). If cassava is not adequately processed to reduce the level of cyanogens prior to consumption, these compounds can lead to the formation of hydrocyanic acid in the gut. Exposure to hydrocyanic acid can cause symptoms ranging from vomiting and abdominal pain to coma and death.

A large point-source outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium phage type 9 linked to a bakery in Sydney, March 2007.

This report describes the investigation and public health response to a large point-source outbreak of salmonellosis in Sydney, Australia. The case-series investigation involved telephone interviews with 283 cases or their guardians and active surveillance through hospitals, general practitioners, laboratories and the public health network. In this outbreak 319 cases of gastroenteritis were identified, of which 221 cases (69%) presented to a hospital emergency department and 136 (43%) required hospital admission.

Quantification of the relative effects of temperature, pH, and water activity on inactivation of Escherichia coli in fermented meat by meta-analysis.

Outbreaks of Escherichia coli infections linked to fermented meats have prompted much research into the kinetics of E. coli inactivation during fermented meat manufacture. A meta-analysis of data from 44 independent studies was undertaken that allowed the relative influences of pH, water activity (a(w)), and temperature on E.

Egg-associated Salmonella outbreak in an aged care facility, New South Wales, 2008.

Salmonellosis is a bacterial disease that causes acute gastroenteritis, with sudden onset of headache, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, nausea and sometimes vomiting. Infection is often associated with the consumption of foods prepared using raw eggs. During July to August 2008 an outbreak at an aged care facility (ACF) in New South Wales was confirmed as Salmonella Typhimurium phage type 44 (Stm 44) in eight of 45 residents.

Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor cluster in Sydney linked to imported whitebait.

Three cases of cholera in women aged 71, 72 and 84 years were notified in November 2006 in Sydney, New South Wales. This is the first reported cluster of cholera in Australia for over 30 years, and was an unusual outbreak in patients with no history of recent travel to cholera-endemic areas. A food trace-back investigation found that the only exposure common to all cases was consumption of raw whitebait imported from Indonesia.