A sharp increase in cases of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) characterized as phage type 14b have been reported in England this year. To date, 259 cases have been reported to the Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Pathogens this year.
Many of the isolates demonstrate a low level of resistance to nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin, a related antibiotic. The incidence graph for 2007-2009 shows a slight increase in cases commencing in summer with a plateau in the fourth quarter.
In contrast, the pattern in 2009 indicates an earlier and higher level of exposed consumers. Nine outbreaks of SE pt14b were reported to the UK Health Prevention Agency (HPA) recently with case numbers ranging from two to 68 per outbreak. It is noted that all the outbreaks were associated with restaurants, with the exception of one senior care home.
The HPA National Outbreak Control Team is investigating the outbreak. Investigation of sporadic cases of SE began in mid-October with involvement of the Food Standards Agency, Department of Food, Health and Rural Affairs and the Department of Health and local authorities.
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