EPIDEMIC SALMONELLOSIS FROM CHEDDAR CHEESE: SURVEILLANCE AND PREVENTION

Abstract

On August 3, 1976, ongoing Salmonella surveillance in Colorado first de tected an epidemic of Salmonella heidelberg infections that eventually totaled 339 isolates. The majority of the cases occurred between July 23 and August 12 in two widely separated cities: Denver and Pueblo. Epidemiologic investigation successively incriminated 1) recent dining at Mexican-style restaurants (p p = 0.029), and 3) consumption of cheddar cheese from a single shipment of a single manufacturer (p S. heidelberg was isolated from seven production lots of the incriminated cheese. Surveillance and the epidemiologic investigation may have resulted in prevention of 25,000 dlarrheal illnesses.