Outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis PT 14b in the United Kingdom

Sixty eight confirmed cases of Salmonella Enteritidis PT 14b (not known to be linked with foreign travel) have been reported to the Public Health Laboratory Service Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre in England (PHLS CDSC) by the PHLS Laboratory of Enteric Pathogens (LEP) since 26 September 2002. Of these the majority (45/68; 62%) were males. The age range of the cases is less than one year to 93 years (median 32 yrs; mean 34 yrs). Where dates of onset are available (n=18) the earliest onset was on 6 September and the latest so far reported is 24 September (figure). The majority of cases are from London and south east England. There is an outbreak in north Hampshire (south of England), which is being investigated locally. Four of nine cases in that outbreak have eaten food from a local café and, in addition, two people from outside the local area who were on holiday there have a link to the café. Trawling interviews are also being conducted of cases not linked with north Hampshire in order to generate hypotheses for the outbreak food vehicle.