An outbreak of Salmonella typhimurium DT170 associated with kebab meat andyoghurt relish

During July 1995, an outbreak of Salmonella typhimurium definitive type (DT ) 170, an unusual strain, occurred in South Wales. A case-control study fou nd that illness was associated with eating kebabs (odds ratio undefined, P = 0.002), doner kebabs (odds ratio 7.9, 95 % confidence interval 1.5-20.5, P = 0.02) and kebabs with yoghurt based relish (odds ratio undefined, P = 0 .009) but not with eating kebabs with mayonnaise-based relish (odds ratio 2 .4, 95% confidence interval 0.4-13.9, P = 0.53). Environmental investigatio ns discovered a complex web of producers and wholesale suppliers. Kebab mea t and yoghurt had been supplied to the two main implicated outlets by a sin gle wholesaler. Samples of raw minced lamb and several environmental swabs taken at the wholesaler were positive for S. typhimurium DT170. Bloodstaine d, unsealed yoghurt pots were observed to be stored under a rack of raw lam b. Investigators of food poisoning outbreaks linked to takeaway food should consider cross-contaminated relishes and dressings as well as undercooked meat as potential vehicles of infection.