Incident of Salmonella Poisoning by Roast Duck in Kaohsiung in 2011

In early May 2011, an incident of food poisoning occurred in Kaohsiung. After eating roast duck purchased from a shop, 75 people sought medical care for gastrointestinal symptoms. All of the patients had diarrhea, 52 (69%) of them had fever, 51 (68%) complained of abdominal pain, 29 (39%) felt fatigue, 18 (24%) had headache, 13 (17%) had been vomiting (17%), and 12 (16%) patients complained of nausea. Salmonella serotype O7 was found in samples collected from 11 patients, 2 shop workers, and 3 uneaten pieces of duck meat. From the gastrointestinal symptoms presented, the timing of the illness, the incubation period and test results, it was concluded that the cause of this outbreak was Salmonella. Survey results showed that roast duck meat purchased from the shop was statistically significantly related to the illness, and should be considered as the cause of this incident. As Salmonella was found on the staff in charge of cutting the roast ducks at the restaurant, cooked food in the shop could have been contaminated by staff members who were carrying the bacteria on their hands.