Salmonellosis, chicken sandwiches - Jordan (Zarqa)

International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>

Source: Jordan Times [edited]
< http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?StoryId=1093126885>

The number of food poisoning cases caused by the consumption of
contaminated sandwiches from a restaurant in Ruseifa on Sun, 10 Sep
2006, rose from 170 to 762. Lab tests revealed that the cause was
salmonella bacteria, which can be found in poultry.

Health Minister Saeed Darwazeh, who checked on the patients at the
Yajouz and Zarqa hospitals yesterday, 11 Sep 2006, said 100 of the
cases are still at the hospital, while the rest were discharged after
treatment.

Meanwhile in a press conference on 11 Sep 2006, Darwazeh said the
patients' symptoms included diarrhea, vomiting, high temperatures and
stomach pains. He said they had consumed chicken that was not well
cooked by the restaurant, noting that thorough cooking kills salmonella.

The size of the outbreak suggests a great many chicken sandwiches
were made with the vehicle, probably a chicken salad-type food in
which even a small amount of undercooked chicken could "spoil the
brew." This is true especially if refrigeration of the preparation
after it was made was not ideal.