Palm | Kelapa Sawit

ABSTRACT: In July 2004 the PA Dept of Health (PA DOH) and the PA Dept of Agriculture (PDA), along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), were involved in the investigation of a multi-state foodborne outbreak of Salmonella. The outbreak, centered in Pennsylvania, involved food items purchased at deli counters of a large gas station chain.  

Routine surveillance by the PA DOH’s pulsed- field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) lab showed a spike in serotype Javiana, and PFGE analysis of these isolates identified an outbreak pattern. An epidemiologic investigation implicated tomatoes as the source of infection. From tomatoes the PDA isolated Salmonella, which the PA DOH rapidly serotyped as Anatum. Subsequently, PFGE established a direct patient-tomato link for this organism. As the epi investigation and PFGE testing continued, four serotypes (Javiana, Anatum, Thompson, and Typhimurium) were eventually implicated. PFGE  results failed to support the involvement of one epi-linked serotype (Muenchen). The standardized CDC PFGE protocol (Ref. 1) using multiple enzymes was used to further characterize the isolates. Through the CDC-sponsored PulseNet communications system, PFGE results were posted to the WebBoard. Rapid responses from neighboring states revealed this to be a multi-state outbreak.