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Risk factors for sporadic Salmonellosis in Switzerland

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Abstract

A case-control study was conducted to identify determinants for the acquisition of sporadicSalmonella infection in Switzerland. Over a one-year period (1993), 223 case-control pairs were enrolled in the study and risk factors were assessed by means of self-administered questionnaires. Three-quarters of the isolates were identified asSalmonella enteritidis, most of which (80%) belonged to phage type 4. There were distinct differences in risk factors between infections withSalmonella enteritidis and those with otherSalmonella serovars. In both groups recent travel abroad was positively associated with illness. This association was more pronounced for infections with non-enteritidis salmonellae [odds ratio (OR) 39.5; 95% confidence interval (CI) 6.6–236.8, compared toSalmonella enteritidis 4.0; 95% CI 1,8–9.1]. Among the presumably imported infections,Salmonella enteritidis was acquired mostly in other European countries, while other serovars were acquired mostly in countries outside of Europe. Eating food containing raw or undercooked eggs during the three days before the onset of illness increased the risk of infection withSalmonella enteritidis. Desserts made with raw eggs (OR 4.6; 95% C I 2.0–10.6) were more strongly associated with disease than consumption of soft-boiled eggs (OR 2.1; 95% CI1.2–3.7), suggesting that the risk of infection was dependent on the extent to which eggs were cooked. Egg consumption was not associated with infections with serovars other thanSalmonella enteritidis; however, the intake of medications other than antacids was found to be a risk factor (OR 3.5; 95% CI1.1–11.4).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases, Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, Hessstrasse 27 E, 3097, Bern, Liebefeld, Switzerland

    H. Schmid & J. Oberreich

  2. National Reference Laboratory for Foodborne Diseases, Institute of Veterinary Bacteriology, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland

    A. P. Burnens

  3. Division of Food Science, Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, Haslerstrasse 16, 3008, Bern, Switzerland

    A. Baumgartner

Authors
  1. H. Schmid
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  2. A. P. Burnens
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  3. A. Baumgartner
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  4. J. Oberreich
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Schmid, H., Burnens, A.P., Baumgartner, A. et al. Risk factors for sporadic Salmonellosis in Switzerland. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 15, 725–732 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01691959

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