Foodborne Illness Outbreak Investigation in a High-Profile Sports Club

A foodborne illness outbreak involving an elite sports team was investigated by a public health unit in Sydney, Australia. An epidemiological association was established between gastrointestinal illness and the consumption of food supplied by an external caterer, with a lamb meal most strongly assoc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inSports medicine - open Vol. 3; no. 1; pp. 24 - 5
Main Authors Cavanagh, Kwendy, Johnstone, Travers, Huhtinen, Essi, Najjar, Zeina, Lorentzos, Peter, Shadbolt, Craig, Shields, John, Gupta, Leena
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Cham Springer International Publishing 01.12.2017
SpringerOpen
Subjects
Athletes
Communicable diseases
Disease outbreaks
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Public health
Salmonella
Short Communication
Sports
Sports Medicine
Salmonella
Communicable diseases
Disease outbreaks
Athletes
Public health
Sports
Foodborne illness
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Summary:A foodborne illness outbreak involving an elite sports team was investigated by a public health unit in Sydney, Australia. An epidemiological association was established between gastrointestinal illness and the consumption of food supplied by an external caterer, with a lamb meal most strongly associated with illness. Genetically identical Salmonella isolates were identified from clinical specimens, residual food items, and an environmental swab taken from the catering premises. The training schedule and other club operations were significantly affected by this outbreak. Increased susceptibility due to regular shared activities and the potential for significant impact upon performance indicates that sports clubs must ensure that food suppliers comply with the highest standards of hygiene. Collaboration with public health authorities assists in source identification and prevention of further transmission.
ISSN:2199-1170
2198-9761
DOI:10.1186/s40798-017-0088-x