An international outbreak of Salmonella infections caused by alfalfa sprouts grown from contaminated seeds

Abstract

An outbreak of Salmonella serotype stanley infections occurred in the United States and Finland in 1995. The outbreak was investigated through case-control studies in Arizona, Michigan, and Finland; by isolate subtyping; and by tracing and culturing of the implicated food. Alfalfa sprout consumption was the only exposure associated with S. stanley infections in Arizona (matched odds ratio [MOR] = 11.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4-513), Michigan (MOR = 5.5; CI, 1.6-23), and Finland (MOR undefined; CI, 4.9-infinity). US and Finnish patient isolates were a unique outbreak strain distinct from S. stanley isolates not linked to the outbreak. Alfalfa sprouts eaten by patients in 6 US states and Finland were traced to seed shipped by a Dutch shipper. Thus, it was concluded that alfalfa sprouts grown from contaminated seed caused an international outbreak of > or =242 S. stanley infections in > or =17 US states and Finland. This outbreak illustrates a new mechanism through which contamination of fresh produce can cause large, widely dispersed outbreaks.