Dose-response effects in an outbreak of Salmonella enteritidis

Epidemiol Infect. 1994 Feb;112(1):13-23. doi: 10.1017/s095026880005737x.

Abstract

The effects of ingested Salmonella enteritidis (SE) dose on incubation period and on the severity and duration of illness were estimated in a cohort of 169 persons who developed gastroenteritis after eating hollandaise sauce made from grade-A shell eggs. The cohort was divided into three groups based on self-reported dose of sauce ingested. As dose increased, median incubation period decreased (37 h in the low exposure group v. 21 h in the medium exposure group v. 17.5 h in the high exposure group, P = 0.006) and greater proportions reported body aches (71 v. 85 v. 94%, P = 0.0009) and vomiting (21 v. 56 v. 57%, P = 0.002). Among 118 case-persons who completed a follow-up questionnaire, increased dose was associated with increases in median weight loss in kilograms (3.2 v. 4.5 v. 5.0, P = 0.0001), maximum daily number of stools (12.5 v. 15.0 v. 20.0, P = 0.02), subjective rating of illness severity (P = 0.0007), and the number of days of confinement to bed (3.0 v. 6.5 v. 6.5, P = 0.04). In this outbreak, ingested dose was an important determinant of the incubation period, symptoms and severity of acute salmonellosis.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Bacteriophage Typing
  • Chickens
  • Cohort Studies
  • Disease Outbreaks*
  • Eating
  • Eggs / microbiology*
  • Feces / microbiology
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Food Handling
  • Food Microbiology*
  • Gastroenteritis / epidemiology
  • Gastroenteritis / microbiology
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Salmonella Food Poisoning / epidemiology
  • Salmonella Food Poisoning / microbiology*
  • Salmonella enteritidis* / classification
  • Salmonella enteritidis* / growth & development
  • Salmonella enteritidis* / isolation & purification
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Time Factors
  • Weight Loss