A Food-Borne Streptococcus Outbreak

Abstract

A ham-borne outbreak resulting in 24 cases of scarlet fever, 56 septic sore throat, 7 diarrhea, 4 vomiting, 3 nausea, and 8 misc. complaints is reported. (These groups are mutually exclusive; the patient is listed in each category according to most severe complaint in this order.) Gastrointestinal symptoms predominated. 80 patients developed streptococcal infections as well as the toxemias as manifest by scarlet fever. The ham was prepd. for a church supper by a woman in the pre-eruptive stage of scarlet fever. Of 182 exposed, 102 became ill[long dash]an over-all attack rate of 56%. All but one case gave history of having eaten ham. Laboratory examination revealed Lancefield Group A, Griffith Type 2 hemolytic streptococci in the ground ham, in the throat of the woman who prepd. the ham and in the throats of 9 cases. The production of an enterotoxic substance from a ham substrate is discussed.