AN OUTBREAK OF CAMPYLOBACTER FOOD POISONING IN A HEALTH-CARE SETTING

An outbreak of campylobacter food poisoning in a group of health care workers is reported. The outbreak involved 12 of 31 staff members atte nding a departmental party. Investigations revealed that a chicken dis h was the most likely vehicle of infection. The relative risk of devel oping symptoms after eating this dish was 6.15 (P<0.002). Further inve stigation established that not only had the cooking instructions been misunderstood but storage of the the food the morning of the party did not comply with Department of Health guidelines. The outbreak was ass ociated with considerable morbidity and cost. It is important that hea lth care workers other than professional catering staff are aware of t he guidelines available to ensure the correct preparation and storage of food if such events are to be held in hospital departments. It is a lso important that manufacturers of chicken products ensure that label ling regarding further cooking is clear and in large print.