A recent outbreak of suspected salmonellosis among British travelers at a hotel in Italy highlights the risk for such infections among tourists, expatriates and similar groups in transit through foreign countries. The following chronology of similar episodes is abstracted from GIDEON:

1976 – An outbreak (550 cases) of Salmonella typhimurium infection affecting 4 international air flights (Las Palmas-Helsinki, Las Palmas-Honover) was caused by contaminated mayonnaise prepared in Spain.
1985 – An outbreak (168 cases) of Salmonella minnesota infection was reported at a Filipino workers’ camp in Saudi Arabia.
1988 – An outbreak (20 cases) of Salmonella enteritidis infection among tourists from Northern Ireland to Madeira was associated with eggs.
1989 – An outbreak (71 cases) of Salmonella enteritidis infection in Spain and Finland was caused by contamination of cold food items served on a commercial airline flight.
1993 – An outbreak (55 cases) of salmonellosis was reported at a U.S. Army child care center in Germany.
1996 to 1998 – Outbreaks (11 cases in 2 outbreaks) of Salmonella serotype Shwarzengrund infection among nursing home patients in the United States were traced to an index patient from the Philippines.
1996 – An outbreak of at least 19 cases of S. enteritidis infection among British tourists was ascribed to lasagna eaten in another country.
1997 – An outbreak of S. livingstone infection was reported in Western Europe – several of the cases were acquired abroad, notably in Tunisia.
1998 – An outbreak (47 cases) of S. blockley infection was reported in the U.K. – foreign travel and consumption of smoked eel were implicated.
1999 – An outbreak (275 cases) of Salmonella paratyphi B infection was reported among European tourists who visited Turkey during the summer of 1999.
1999 – An outbreak (24 confirmed, 15 suspect cases) of S. enteritidis infection was reported among Canadian travelers to the Dominican Republic.
2001 – An outbreak (303 cases) of Salmonella enteritidis anaerogenic PT 14b infection was reported among Norwegian, Finish and Swedish tourists returning from Crete and Karpathos. The probable source was contaminated poultry.
2001 – An outbreak (19 cases) of Salmonella enteritidis PT4 infection was reported among Finnish tourists to Riga (Latvia) – the incriminated food was cake with raw egg cream.
2002 – An outbreak (352 cases) of Salmonella enteritidis 21 and S. enteritidis hadar infection ascribed to chicken was reported among passengers on a ferry traveling between Sweden and Poland.
2003 – An outbreak (62 cases) of salmonellosis associated with a restaurant affected a German rowing team in Greece.
2004 – An outbreak (86 cases) of Salmonella enteritidis PT4 infectionwas reported aboard a German tourist ship docked in Scotland.
2004 – An outbreak (30 cases) of Salmonella Livingstone infection was reported among German tourists at a hotel in Sousse, Tunisia.
2005 – An outbreak (178 cases) of Salmonella goldcoast infection in Majorca affected tourists from Scotland (37), Ireland (6), Sweden (6), Norway (8), Denmark (3), Germany (20) and Finland (4).
2005 – An outbreak (34 cases) of S. enterica serotype Typhimurium infection was reported among American students visiting Australia.
2007 – An outbreak (56 cases) of salmonellosis related to contaminated spaghetti at a hotel in Spain involved tourists from France, Italy, Spain, Romania, Czech Republic and Albania.

Also quoted in ProMED

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