Large outbreak of Salmonella Thompson related to smoked salmon in the Netherlands, August to December 2012

Abstract

, an increase in the number of Salmonella Thompson cases was noticed by the Salmonella surveillance in the Netherlands. A casecontrol study was performed, followed by a food investigation. In total 1,149 cases were laboratoryconfirmed between August and December 2012 of which four elderly (76-91 years) were reported to have died due to the infection. The cause of the outbreak was smoked salmon processed at a single site. The smoked salmon had been continuously contaminated in the processing lines through reusable dishes, which turned out to be porous and had become loaded with bacteria. This is the largest outbreak of salmonellosis ever recorded in the Netherlands. The temporary closure of the processing site and recall of the smoked salmon stopped the outbreak. An estimated four to six million Dutch residents were possibly exposed to the contaminated smoked salmon and an estimated 23,000 persons would have had acute gastroenteritis with S. Thompson during this outbreak. This outbreak showed that close collaboration between diagnostic laboratories, regional public health services, the national institute for public health and the food safety authorities is essential in outbreak investigations.

The microbiology of cold smoked salmon

“…iii) Exogenous bacteria such as Salmonella spp., pathogenic E. coli (i.e. O157:H7), and Staphylococcus aureus; are not naturally present in fish raw material, but may be contaminants during processing as a result of poor hygiene or water supply (Friesema et al, 2014;Himelbloom & Crapo, 1998;Huss et al, 1995). The prevalence (proportion) of E. coli and Salmonella spp.…”

Salmonella Serogroup C: Current Status of Vaccines and Why They Are Needed

“…However, vaccinating only farm animals might not be sufficient to prevent disease in humans. A major outbreak of S. Thompson in the Netherlands in 2012 was attributed to smoked salmon (71). Multiple outbreaks have also been linked to fruits and vegetables.…”

Salmonella Thompson outbreak associated with consumption of chicken shawarma and the usefulness of genome sequencing in the investigation

“…One outbreak which occurred in 2012 involved 1,149 confirmed cases in the Netherlands, which was attributed to the consumption of smoked salmon (1). Other studies have identified various vehicles: bread, possibly contaminated by a food handler (2); fresh cilantro (3); and rucola grown in Italy (4).…”

“…Details of outbreaks associated with S. Thompson have been published previously (1)(2)(3)(4). One outbreak which occurred in 2012 involved 1,149 confirmed cases in the Netherlands, which was attributed to the consumption of smoked salmon (1).…”