AN OUTBREAK of salmonella has left 18 people needing treatment. It is blamed on raw eggs used in mayonnaise and affected customers and staff at an unamed island catering establishment.
Environmental health inspectors visited the premises last week and a spokesman said the infection had been contained. ‘The Environmental Health section is currently investigating a salmonella food-poisoning outbreak involving a local catering establishment,’ he said.
‘At present it is known that 18 people became infected during the period 13-17 June. Some of those infected were catering staff from the premises involved, some were visitors to the island and others were local residents.’
The spokesman would not confirm the location of the outbreak as he said the premises had been deemed fit to continue catering. ‘There have been no cases of salmonella associated with these premises involving food consumed after 17 June,’ he said.
‘We do not think it is appropriate to disclose the name of the business. It presently appears that the outbreak was limited to this period.
‘Initial findings indicate that the likely cause of the outbreak was the use of raw eggs in the preparation of mayonnaise, but the investigation is still in progress.’
In May, the director of public health, Dr David Jeffs, and the director of environmental and pollution regulation, John Cook, published advice and guidance on minimising salmonella risks and made specific reference to the safe use of eggs.
At the time Dr Jeffs said: ‘Salmonella is a bacterium frequently associated with eggs and poultry. When food hygiene standards were less rigorous, it was relatively common, but seven or eight years ago, notifications began to fall in both England and Guernsey.
‘However, in Guernsey we have seen something of a resurgence over the past three years and our rates at around 150 per 100,000 population per year are around four times those reported in England, where rates are about 40.
‘What particularly alarms us is the recent rise in local cases, as the weather has started to warm up. The condition can be quite serious.’
A copy of the UK Food Standards Agency leaflet, ‘Eggs – what caterers need to know’, is now being sent to all local establishments to emphasise again how they should be used to ensure customers’ safety.
Article posted on 24th June, 2008 - 2.29pm
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