Kebabs with a side of Salmonella: Two outbreaks of Salmonella linked to kebab shops in Canberra, ACT

Abstract

We report two outbreaks of Salmonella associated with kebab shops in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, detected through routine surveillance. The first consisted of 12 cases of Salmonella Agona, nine of whom reported eating chicken from the same kebab shop. The second consisted of two cases of Salmonella Virchow who both reported eating chicken from another (unrelated) kebab shop. Environmental investigations identified similar food safety issues at both businesses, including improper cleaning of kebab shaving equipment and serving cut rotisserie meat without further cooking. Environmental samples detected Salmonella genomically linked to the respective outbreak cases. These outbreaks highlight the importance of appropriate cleaning and sanitising of kebab shaving equipment and the use of a second cook step after kebab meat is shaved from the rotisserie.

Keywords: Agona; Salmonella; Virchow; foodborne disease; kebab; outbreak.