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In 2005, over 600 clinically diagnosed typhoid fever cases occurred in South Africa, where an outbreak had been previously described in 1993. Case-control and molecular investigations, including Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi) isolates from that area from 1993, 2005 and later, were undertaken. Controls were significantly older than cases (P=0·003), possibly due to immunity from previous infection, and a significantly larger proportion had attended a gathering (P=0·035). Exposure to commercial food outlets and person-to-person transmission was not significant. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and multi-locus tandem repeat analysis revealed common clusters of S. Typhi strains identified in 1993 and 2005 as well as in 2007 and 2009. This outbreak probably occurred in a non-immune population due to faecally contaminated water. S. Typhi strains appeared to be related to strains from 1993; failure to address unsafe water may lead to further outbreaks in the area if the current population immunity wanes or is lost.

Purpose This paper presents an interpretive data analysis from a superordinate study that aimed to determine foodservice satisfaction. The purpose of this paper is to determine inpatient hospital foodservice experiences. Design/methodology/approach The authors used secondary data obtained from 419 respondents: (225 (53.70 per cent) males, 178 (42.48 per cent) females and 16 (3.82 per cent) undisclosed) participants. A comparative, quantitative and cross-sectional approach was applied to provide insight into hospital foodservice experiences. The Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney test, interpreted at 0.05 error rate, was used to compare male and female patient experiences. Findings Male patients had significantly higher rank-sum scores than female patients in almost all items (p<0.0001). The study revealed that hospital personnel, especially foodservice staff, had an unsatisfactory communication approach. Originality/value This is the first South African study that compares female and male inpatient foodservice perceptions. Hospital managers and stakeholders may need to consider patient’s gender, as a significant factor that is associated with patient experiences, when embarking on improving foodservice systems.

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