Yersinia enterocolitica outbreak associated with ready-to-eat salad mix, Norway, 2011.

In 2011, an outbreak of illness caused by Yersinia enterocolitica O:9 in Norway was linked to ready-to-eat salad mix, an unusual vehicle for this pathogen. The outbreak illustrates the need to characterize isolates of this organism, and reinforces the need for international traceback mechanisms for fresh produce.

Outbreak of Shigella sonnei infection in Norway linked to consumption of fresh basil, October 2011.

We report a Shigella sonnei outbreak of 46 cases that occurred in Norway during October 2011. Two municipalities were involved. A large cluster (42 cases)was concentrated in north Norway, while a smallcluster (4 cases) occurred in the south-east region.

Clonal reconquest of antibiotic-susceptible Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi in Son La Province, Vietnam.

In the last three decades, high rates of resistance to common first-line antimicrobial agents have been reported in Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi (Typhi), the causative organism of typhoid fever (TF), in many regions of the world, especially in South East Asia. Analysis of Typhi strains isolated from outbreaks and sporadic cases of TF in Son La province, northwest Vietnam, in 2002 revealed that 94.5% (85/90) of the isolates were fully susceptible to amoxicillin, chloramphenicol, cotrimoxazole, tetracycline, and nalidixic acid.

Octaplex PCR and fluorescence-based capillary electrophoresis for identification of human diarrheagenic Escherichia coli and Shigella spp.

A multiplex PCR assay, amplifying seven specific virulence genes and one internal control gene in a single reaction, was developed to identify the five main pathotypes of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli and Shigella spp. The virulence genes selected for each category were Stx1, Stx2, and eaeA for enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), eaeA for enteropathogenic E.