Alimentary infection outbreak of Salmonella enteritidis. Possible protector effect of alcohol intake

BACKGROUND: On may 1994, a foodborne outbreak took place in Almazora (Castellon, Spain) after a meal with 116 persons. A sanitary study was made to find out the causes and control the outbreak. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Inspection of the setting and a case-control study were carried out. Several foods and faecal specimens of 23 patients were investigated. We also study the effect of alcohol on the occurrence of the outbreak. RESULTS: A hundred people was interviewed (86%), 58 ill persons, Salmonella enteritidis was isolated from faeces and statisticaly implicated food (odds ratio = 75, IC 95 = 15.6-361), a sandwich with tuna, boiled eggs and vegetables. Among adults, epidemiological analysis showed a protective effect of alcohol, adjusted far age, sex and consumption of the implicated food (p=0.007). CONCLUSIONS: In the study of foddborne outbreaks by Salmonella enteritidis simultaneous consumption of alcoholic drinks and foods should be taken into account to explain same exposed non-cases.