Food-borne Salmonella infections constitute a considerable
public health problem throughout the
Western world. In most countries, Salmonella
enterica subspecies enterica serovar Typhimurium
(S. Typhimurium) is the first or second most
prevalent serotype [1–3]. Although most cases of
S. Typhimurium appear to be sporadic, outbreaks
represent an important means of transmission of
this agent, and the literature describes a number
of different modes of transmission [4,5]. The
detection and resolution of outbreaks, as well as
an understanding of their epidemiology, are
important in the direct and indirect control of
this agent.
The number of S. Typhimurium cases peaked
in Denmark in the late 1980s because of a high
level of infection in domestically produced poultry,
and again in the early 1990s, primarily
because of infection in pigs. Large-scale national
efforts to control Salmonella infections in the farmto-
fork chain have resulted in a steady decline in
the number of infections [6]. However, the control
of infection in production animals, and the subsequent
reduction in both sporadic cases and
outbreaks caused by contaminated meat, may
have little effect on outbreaks mediated by infected
individuals. This report describes a prolonged
outbreak of S. Typhimurium infection traced to a
single restaurant and, in all likelihood, to a single
member of staff found to excrete the organism
involved.