Imported fresh sugar peas as suspected source of an outbreak of Shigella sonnei in Denmark, April – May 2009

L Muller; T Jensen; R F Petersen; K Mølbak; S Ethelberg

doi:10.2807/ese.14.24.19241-en

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Imported fresh sugar peas as suspected source of an outbreak of Shigella sonnei in Denmark, April – May 2009
L Muller¹ , T Jensen² , R F Petersen³ , K Mølbak¹ , S Ethelberg^1,3
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Affiliations: ¹ Department of Epidemiology, Statens Serum Institut (Danish National Institute of Health, SSI), Copenhagen, Denmark ² Fødevarestyrelsen (Danish Veterinary and Food Administration), Copenhagen, Denmark ³ Department of Bacteriology, Mycology and Parasitology, Statens Serum Institut (Danish National Institute of Health, SSI), Copenhagen, Denmark

Correspondence:
L Muller
lum ssi.dk
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Citation style for this article: Muller L, Jensen T, Petersen R F, Mølbak K, Ethelberg S. Imported fresh sugar peas as suspected source of an outbreak of Shigella sonnei in Denmark, April – May 2009. Euro Surveill. 2009;14(24):pii=19241. https://doi.org/10.2807/ese.14.24.19241-en Received: 17 Jun 2009

Abstract

We report on an outbreak of Shigella sonnei infections involving ten cases notified through the laboratory surveillance system in Denmark in April and May. The likely source was consumption of fresh, raw sugar peas (sugar snaps) imported from Africa. This conclusion was based on interviews with cases and on the occurrence of a similar outbreak one month later in Norway. Fresh imported produce may occasionally be contaminated with pathogenic bacteria even when sold as ready-to-eat.