Provável surto de toxinfecção alimentar em funcionários de uma empresa no litoral da região sudeste do Brasil

This paper reports a presumptive outbreak of food-borne disease occurred in September 2009 to 10 employees working for a company in Guaruja, Sao Paulo, Brazil. The food-supplying company was requested to send the suspected food, fruit juice and water samples in order to be investigated at Instituto Adolfo Lutz – Regional Laboratory of Santos. The collected foods samples were analyzed by means of conventional methods, following the Compendium of Methods for Microbiological Examination of Foods (2001) and the guidelines of the Standard Methods (2005). The results were analyzed according to the Brazilian Ministry of Health legislation ANVISA RDC 12/2001 and Decree 518/2004. The coliform group bacteria were isolated from the water samples, and fecal coliforms were isolated from lettuce and cheese salad served at the firm restaurant (N.M.P. 1,1x103/g). No coagulase-positive Staphylococcus, Bacillus cereus, Salmonella spp. and sulfite reductor Clostridium were detected. By associating the results based on laboratory findings to the gastroenteritis symptoms in employees, there may be presumed that an outbreak of food-borne disease has occurred. The municipal health surveillance service has not been notified by the food company, which is mandatory according to the legislation in effect. The present report evidences the remarkable task performed by a Public Health laboratory elucidating an outbreak of food-borne diseases.