An outbreak of multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serotype Typhimurium, DT104L linked to dried anchovy in Singapore

Epidemiol Infect. 2002 Feb;128(1):1-5. doi: 10.1017/s0950268801006367.

Abstract

Multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serotype Typhimurium DT104L was first reported in Singapore from mid-July to mid-October 2000. Salmonella strains isolated from clinical laboratories were submitted to a reference laboratory for serotyping, phage-typing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) using XbaI restriction endonuclease. An epidemiological investigation was conducted to determine the source of infection and mode of transmission using a structured questionnaire. A total of 33 cases involving mainly infants and toddlers were detected in the 3-month long outbreak. The outbreak strain was of the R-type ACGSTSu, i.e. resistant to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, gentamicin, streptomycin, tetracycline and sulphonamide. PFGE showed all isolates had an indistinguishable pattern, indicating a common source of infection. Consumption of imported dried anchovy was found to be the vehicle of transmission after adjusting for all confounding variables in the case-control study using stepwise logistic regression (OR 25.6; 95% CI 3.9-167.9; P = 0.001). Imported dried seafood should be properly processed, packed, labelled, and thoroughly cooked to prevent transmission of multidrug-resistant S. Typhimurium.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic
  • Cooking
  • Disease Outbreaks*
  • Drug Resistance
  • Drug Resistance, Multiple*
  • Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field
  • Epidemiologic Studies
  • Female
  • Food Contamination*
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Salmonella Infections / drug therapy*
  • Salmonella Infections / epidemiology*
  • Salmonella Infections / pathology
  • Salmonella enteritidis / drug effects
  • Salmonella enteritidis / isolation & purification
  • Salmonella enteritidis / pathogenicity*
  • Seafood*
  • Serologic Tests
  • Singapore / epidemiology