Salmonella Enteritidis phage type 6 (PT6) increased dramatically in the Uni
ted Kingdom during 1997. The sharp rise suggests that PT6 contamination has
spread rapidly throughout a basic food commodity; however, the source and
food vehicle remain unknown. We present evidence from three outbreaks sugge
sting a possibile link between PT6 and eggs. Poor documentation of the egg
supply network continues to pose problems for public health investigators.
Thorough investigation of all future PT6 outbreaks and case-control studies
of sporadic infections are needed to confirm the etiology of PT6 infection
.