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An outbreak of typhoid Fever in Florida associated with an imported frozen fruit

Dolores J Katz1, Miguel A Cruz, Mary Jo Trepka

  • 1Bureau of Epidemiology, Florida Department of Health, Miami, FL 33125, USA. dolly_katz@doh.state.fl.us

The Journal of Infectious Diseases
|July 23, 2002
PubMed

Insights

A typhoid fever outbreak in Florida was linked to contaminated frozen mamey fruit shakes. This highlights the risks of globalized food sources and the need for enhanced food safety measures.

Area of Science:

  • Foodborne illness epidemiology
  • Microbial food safety
  • Public health surveillance

Background:

  • Typhoid fever outbreaks pose significant public health risks.
  • Globalization of food supply chains increases the potential for widespread contamination.
  • Ensuring the safety of imported food products is a growing challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the cause of a typhoid fever outbreak in Florida.
  • To identify the source of Salmonella Typhi transmission.
  • To assess the role of imported food products in the outbreak.

Main Methods:

  • Case-control study design to identify risk factors.
  • Environmental assessments of food preparation and distribution.
  • Laboratory analysis of clinical isolates and food samples.
  • Genomic profiling of Salmonella Typhi isolates.

Main Results:

  • Identical genomic profiles of Salmonella Typhi isolates from 15 confirmed cases.
  • Significant association between illness and consumption of fruit shakes made with frozen mamey.
  • Fecal coliform contamination detected in frozen mamey; Salmonella Typhi not isolated.
  • Recall of contaminated frozen mamey led to the cessation of new cases.

Conclusions:

  • Contaminated frozen mamey was the likely source of the typhoid fever outbreak.
  • Globalization of food supply chains necessitates robust food safety protocols.
  • Enhanced surveillance and regulatory approaches are crucial for imported food safety.

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