The strength of the outbreak investigation was defined
by the rapidity required for the public health response
and coordination across multiple organisations.
weakness of the investigation was the retrospective
nature of the kitchen inspection which provided a limited
picture of the food transport, storage and preparation
processes that occurred on site on a specific day.
A key strength was the speed with which the outbreak
control team was set up and a meeting organised on
the afternoon of Friday 22 March. This occurred within
60 minutes of the outbreak being notified to the local
Health Protection Unit. In addition, the prompt collection
of stool samples on Friday afternoon provided a
rapid microbiological diagnosis.