An outbreak of campylobacteriosis at a hotel in England: the ongoing risk due to consumption of chicken liver dishes

Abstract

Despite a sizeable evidence base for the risk of campylobacteriosis associated with eating chicken liver pâté, associated outbreaks continue to occur. In January 2017, six cases of campylobacteriosis reported having eaten a Christmas set-menu meal at the same hotel in North Yorkshire, England on the same day. A retrospective cohort study was undertaken to test the null hypothesis that consumption of individual food items was not associated with an increased risk of illness. There were 19 cases of campylobacteriosis linked to the outbreak; seven confirmed and 12 probable cases. Chicken liver pâté was the food item most strongly associated with illness (P < 0.001) with a corresponding high crude relative risk (12.95). This relationship was supported by multivariable analysis, sensitivity analyses and a clear dose–response relationship. Three cases reported an incubation period of <24 h, consistent with other outbreaks of campylobacteriosis associated with consumption of poultry liver. The findings were suggestive of a single point source exposure with a strong association between the consumption of chicken liver pâté and campylobacteriosis. This outbreak highlights that despite evidence that simple cooking techniques can ensure that all campylobacter are killed during cooking, outbreaks continue to occur. Public and professional awareness needs to be raised through a strategic communication plan to reduce the risk of further outbreaks of campylobacteriosis linked to incorrectly cooked chicken liver dishes.

Global epidemiology of campylobacteriosis and the impact of COVID-19

“…Hotels, schools, pubs and farms were settings where foodborne outbreaks frequently occur, and chicken liver containing dishes and raw drinking milks were causes for most of the foodborne outbreaks ( Public Health England, 2018 ). During the Christmas period in 2016, a foodborne outbreak was reported in a hotel in North Yorkshire, England, of which 19 cases were identified, seven of them being positive for Campylobacter ( Wensley et al., 2020 ). Chicken liver pâté was the food item that was most strongly associated with the disease, possibly due to inadequate cooking during the busy holiday period.…”

Biomedical and Social Aspects of the Spread of Infectious Diseases in the Modern Period of Time

“…Currently, such tourism as rural tourism should be assessed in terms of the likelihood of human infection with tularemia, campylobacteriosis, etc. So, in January 2017, 19 cases of campylobacteriosis were recorded in the UK among hotel visitors in the countryside after eating chicken liver paste [4]. In 2016, an oropharyngeal outbreak of tularemia was recorded among people who consumed grape must, and an epidemiological investigation revealed a transmission factor contaminated by secretions of rodents infected with a tularemia microbe, a mechanized harvester for collecting grapes of different varieties (F. tularensis ssp.…”

Analysis of two cross-contamination cases of <i>Campylobacter jejuni</i> foodborne disease in fragile subjects in the territory of a Local Health Authority in Tuscany, Italy

“…Cases and outbreaks are reported every year in the European territory. In the European Union, outbreaks are mostly attributable to the consumption of contaminated water, raw dairy products, and mainly chicken meat (Heuvelink et al ., 2009 ; Hyllestad et al ., 2020 ; Wensley et al ., 2020 ), often through cross-contamination that may occur from the contact between ready-to-eat foods and raw chicken meat (European Food Safety Authority and European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, 2022).…”