An outbreak of Salmonella Weltevreden food poisoning after eating goat meat, August 1999 - Okinawa
(IASR 2000; 21: 164-164)

According to our Salmonella food poisoning database during 1989 to 1999 (45 incidences, 796 cases), Salmonella Weltevreden (SW) is the second ranked pathogen in the case (154 cases; S. Enteritidis 445 cases) and the third in the incidence (6 incidences; S. Enteritidis 22; S. Typhimurium 7). Except in Okinawa Prefecture, only one food poisoning due to SW has been reported (Tochigi, 1994) to IASR. On the other hand, SW has been frequently isolated in travelers' diarrhea. In 1995 there was a fatal SW enteritis in a traveler returning from Indonesia.

In Okinawa Prefecture people have a habit of eating goat meat raw or as soup. We had experienced 2 food poisonings related with goat meat (SW in 1989 and Campylobacter jejuni in 1998). Following is the summary of a SW food poisoning that occurred in August 1999.

On August 16, physicians in Nago City notified the local health center that 30 patients suspected of food poisoning visited the hospital. Those patients turned out to have participated in an open house party in the city on August 14. The health center investigated 135 participants. Among them 84 developed illness, 72 did seek medical care to 12 facilities, and 15 were hospitalized. Major symptoms included diarrhea (96%, average 21 times), fever (85%, average 39C), abdominal pain (86%), headache (58%), nausea (28%), vomiting (25%), and the average incubation time was 16 hours. Epidemiological investigation revealed that raw goat meat and goat meat soup were the most implicated foods; attack rate 96% (81/88).

Microbiological tests conducted at our institute found that S. Weltevreden;3,10:r:z6 was isolated from the 4 patients' stool, raw goat meat, and goat meat soup. Meat and environmental samples at the slaughter house also yielded SW. Inspection revealed that the goats were slaughtered and torn into pieces in an illegal manner. The meat was sold at 10 am of August 14, sliced to be eaten raw or cooked for soup, then served to the participants between 5-10 pm. Although the meat was cooled in ice, high temperature (30C) and humidity (75%) probably allowed the growth of SW.

Reported by: Jun Kudaka, Kiyomasa Itokazu, Masaji Nakamura, Katsuya Taira, and Ryuji Asato, Okinawa Prefectural Institute of Health and Environment

Correspondence:
E-mail: bisei@ii-okinawa.ne.jp
Fax: +81-98-945-9366

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