Traceback of Thai Baby Corn Implicated in Danish and Australian Shigellosis Outbreaks: Findings and Implications for Control, August 2007
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Date
2010-05-24
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Outbreak, Surveillance and Investigation Reports
Abstract
Background: Bureau of Epidemiology (BOE), Ministry of Public Health received notification from International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) on September 4th and 13th, 2007 about there were 218 shigellosis cases reported in different parts of Denmark during 6-20 August, 2007 and 12 shigellosis cases in Queensland and Victoria of Australia during 9-27 August,2007. Both outbreaks suspected imported baby corn from Thailand. BOE, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperative (MAC) and local SRRT went to investigation during September 4th - 20th, 2007 for confirm epidemiological linkage of both outbreaks, to identify source of contamination in suspected baby corn, to give recommendation for prevention and control. Methods: We used descriptive study to observed production of baby corn in factories that relate to Denmark and Australia's outbreak. We had data collection by contact Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperative and INFOSAN for sharing information, interview workers in related factories and farms about history of illness and working process, observed environment in linkage factories and sample collection by rectal swabs, hand swabs, environment and equipment sent to National Institute of Health for bacterial culture. Result: Denmark and Australia were imported suspected baby corn from A packing house of Thailand. Producing process of A packing house divide to three parts; farms, collecting house and packing house. Their collecting houses showed that there were many potential points of contamination in A packing house and their collecting houses. The workers in farms and packing house part were not direct contact with baby corn; the collecting houses had highest risk for contamination since the workers use bar hand to contact with the already peeled baby corns. However, the packing house has weakness for disinfection of the baby corns; lower concentrate of disinfectant if high contaminate before that, it can't disinfect. Laboratory result of the totally 373 samples from rectal swabs, hand swabs, environmental and equipment swabs were not found Shigellsa sonnei. Conclusion: Shigellosis outbreaks in Denmark and Australia related baby corn imported from Thailand, most likely possible source of both outbreaks was baby corn from the chain of A packing house. Process of highest risk of contamination was at A's collecting house and some defect in the disinfection process, it can't disinfects to bacterial contaminate in baby corn.
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Outbreak, Surveillance and Investigation Reports; Issue 1, Vol 2, 2009; 1-4