Investigation using whole genome sequencing of a prolonged restaurant outbreak of Salmonella typhimurium linked to the building drainage system, England, February 2015 to March 2016

Following notification of a Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium gastroenteritis outbreak, we identified 82 cases linked to a restaurant with symptom onset from 12 February 2015 to 8 March 2016. Seventy-two cases had an isolate matching the nationally unique whole genome sequencing profile (singl...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mair-Jenkins, John, Borges-Stewart, Roberta, Harbour, Caroline, Cox-Rogers, Judith, Dallman, Tim, Ashton, Philip, Johnston, Robert, Modha, Deborah, Monk, Philip, Puleston, Richard
Format: Article
Published: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control 2017
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/49724/
_version_ 1848798062688862208
author Mair-Jenkins, John
Borges-Stewart, Roberta
Harbour, Caroline
Cox-Rogers, Judith
Dallman, Tim
Ashton, Philip
Johnston, Robert
Modha, Deborah
Monk, Philip
Puleston, Richard
author_facet Mair-Jenkins, John
Borges-Stewart, Roberta
Harbour, Caroline
Cox-Rogers, Judith
Dallman, Tim
Ashton, Philip
Johnston, Robert
Modha, Deborah
Monk, Philip
Puleston, Richard
author_sort Mair-Jenkins, John
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description Following notification of a Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium gastroenteritis outbreak, we identified 82 cases linked to a restaurant with symptom onset from 12 February 2015 to 8 March 2016. Seventy-two cases had an isolate matching the nationally unique whole genome sequencing profile (single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) address: 1.1.1.124.395.395). Interviews established exposure to the restaurant and subsequent case-control analysis identified an association with eating carvery buffet food (adjusted odds ratios (AOR): 20.9; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.2 - infinity). Environmental inspections, food/water testing, and a food trace-back investigation were inconclusive. Repeated cycles of cleaning were undertaken, including hydrogen peroxide fogging, however, transmission continued. After 7 months of investigation, environmental swabbing identified 106 isolates from kitchen surfaces and restaurant drains matching the outbreak profile. We found structural faults with the drainage system and hypothesised that a reservoir of bacteria in drain biofilm and underfloor flooded areas may have sustained this outbreak. Ineffective drain water-traps (U-bends) may have also contributed by allowing transmission of contaminated aerosols into the kitchen environment. These findings suggest that routine swabbing of sink drain points and inspection of drainage systems should be considered in future outbreak scenarios.
first_indexed 2025-11-14T20:13:48Z
format Article
id nottingham-49724
institution University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus
institution_category Local University
last_indexed 2025-11-14T20:13:48Z
publishDate 2017
publisher European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
recordtype eprints
repository_type Digital Repository
spelling nottingham-497242020-05-04T19:21:49Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/49724/ Investigation using whole genome sequencing of a prolonged restaurant outbreak of Salmonella typhimurium linked to the building drainage system, England, February 2015 to March 2016 Mair-Jenkins, John Borges-Stewart, Roberta Harbour, Caroline Cox-Rogers, Judith Dallman, Tim Ashton, Philip Johnston, Robert Modha, Deborah Monk, Philip Puleston, Richard Following notification of a Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium gastroenteritis outbreak, we identified 82 cases linked to a restaurant with symptom onset from 12 February 2015 to 8 March 2016. Seventy-two cases had an isolate matching the nationally unique whole genome sequencing profile (single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) address: 1.1.1.124.395.395). Interviews established exposure to the restaurant and subsequent case-control analysis identified an association with eating carvery buffet food (adjusted odds ratios (AOR): 20.9; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.2 - infinity). Environmental inspections, food/water testing, and a food trace-back investigation were inconclusive. Repeated cycles of cleaning were undertaken, including hydrogen peroxide fogging, however, transmission continued. After 7 months of investigation, environmental swabbing identified 106 isolates from kitchen surfaces and restaurant drains matching the outbreak profile. We found structural faults with the drainage system and hypothesised that a reservoir of bacteria in drain biofilm and underfloor flooded areas may have sustained this outbreak. Ineffective drain water-traps (U-bends) may have also contributed by allowing transmission of contaminated aerosols into the kitchen environment. These findings suggest that routine swabbing of sink drain points and inspection of drainage systems should be considered in future outbreak scenarios. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control 2017-12-07 Article PeerReviewed Mair-Jenkins, John, Borges-Stewart, Roberta, Harbour, Caroline, Cox-Rogers, Judith, Dallman, Tim, Ashton, Philip, Johnston, Robert, Modha, Deborah, Monk, Philip and Puleston, Richard (2017) Investigation using whole genome sequencing of a prolonged restaurant outbreak of Salmonella typhimurium linked to the building drainage system, England, February 2015 to March 2016. Eurosurveillance, 22 (49). pp. 17-00037. ISSN 1560-7917 Gastrointestinal disease; Salmonella ; Salmonellosis ; food-borne infections ; outbreaks http://www.eurosurveillance.org/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2017.22.49.17-00037 doi:10.2807/1560-7917.es.2017.22.49.17-00037 doi:10.2807/1560-7917.es.2017.22.49.17-00037
spellingShingle Gastrointestinal disease; Salmonella ; Salmonellosis ; food-borne infections ; outbreaks
Mair-Jenkins, John
Borges-Stewart, Roberta
Harbour, Caroline
Cox-Rogers, Judith
Dallman, Tim
Ashton, Philip
Johnston, Robert
Modha, Deborah
Monk, Philip
Puleston, Richard
Investigation using whole genome sequencing of a prolonged restaurant outbreak of Salmonella typhimurium linked to the building drainage system, England, February 2015 to March 2016
title Investigation using whole genome sequencing of a prolonged restaurant outbreak of Salmonella typhimurium linked to the building drainage system, England, February 2015 to March 2016
title_full Investigation using whole genome sequencing of a prolonged restaurant outbreak of Salmonella typhimurium linked to the building drainage system, England, February 2015 to March 2016
title_fullStr Investigation using whole genome sequencing of a prolonged restaurant outbreak of Salmonella typhimurium linked to the building drainage system, England, February 2015 to March 2016
title_full_unstemmed Investigation using whole genome sequencing of a prolonged restaurant outbreak of Salmonella typhimurium linked to the building drainage system, England, February 2015 to March 2016
title_short Investigation using whole genome sequencing of a prolonged restaurant outbreak of Salmonella typhimurium linked to the building drainage system, England, February 2015 to March 2016
title_sort investigation using whole genome sequencing of a prolonged restaurant outbreak of salmonella typhimurium linked to the building drainage system, england, february 2015 to march 2016
topic Gastrointestinal disease; Salmonella ; Salmonellosis ; food-borne infections ; outbreaks
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/49724/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/49724/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/49724/