Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-94fs2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-14T04:31:54.520Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

An outbreak of hepatitis A associated with a bakery, New York, 1994: The 1968 ‘West Branch, Michigan’ outbreak repeated

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

A. C. Weltman ,
N. M. Bennett ,
D. A. Ackman ,
J. H. Misage ,
J. J. Campana ,
L. S. Fine ,
A. S. Doniger ,
G. J. Balzano  and
G. S. Birkhead
A. C. Weltman*
Affiliation:
Epidemic Intelligence Service and Division of Field Epidemiology, Epidemiology Program Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA Bureau of Tuberculosis Control, NY State Dept. of Health, Albany, NY
N. M. Bennett
Affiliation:
Monroe County Health Department, Rochester, NY
D. A. Ackman
Affiliation:
Epidemic Intelligence Service and Division of Field Epidemiology, Epidemiology Program Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA Bureau of Communicable Disease Control, NY State Dept. of Health, AlbanyNY
J. H. Misage
Affiliation:
Monroe County Health Department, Rochester, NY
J. J. Campana
Affiliation:
Monroe County Health Department, Rochester, NY
L. S. Fine
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
A. S. Doniger
Affiliation:
Monroe County Health Department, Rochester, NY
G. J. Balzano
Affiliation:
Bureau of Communicable Disease Control, NY State Dept. of Health, Buffalo, NY
G. S. Birkhead
Affiliation:
Bureau of Communicable Disease Control, NY State Dept. of Health, AlbanyNY Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York
*
* C. Weltman, Pennsylvania State Department of Health, Bureau of Epidemiology – Rm. 909, P.O. Box 90, Harrisburg, PA 17108, USA.
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

In a community hepatitis A outbreak in the Rochester, New York area, 64 of 79 (81 %) people with anti-hepatitis A 1gM-antibodies and onset of symptoms from 9 April–31 May 1994, recalled eating food obtained from a retail buyer's club. Eleven (65%) of 17 households with cases contained club members compared with 7 (21%) of 34 neighbourhood-matched control-households (matched odds ratio 8·5; 95% CI 1·7–41·6). Club employees who ate sugar-glazed baked goods were at fourfold increased risk for hepatitis. The source of infection was an 1gM- positive baker who contaminated baked goods while applying sugar glaze. Computer-generated purchase lists implicated 11–12 March and 21–24 March as the most likely dates when contamination occurred. This investigation demonstrates the importance of food workers adhering to established hygiene practices. Computer-generated commercial datasets can be useful in epidemiologic investigations.

Type
Research Article
Information
Epidemiology & Infection , Volume 117 , Issue 2 , October 1996 , pp. 333 - 341
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

References

references

1.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Summary of notifiable diseases, 1993. MMWR 1993; 42:67.Google Scholar
2.Carl, M, Francis, DP,Maynard, JE. Food-borne hepatitis A: Recommendations for control. J Infect Dis 1983; 148: 1133–5.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3.Mutton, KJ, Gust, ID. Public health aspects of hepatitis A. In: Gerety, RJ, ed. Hepatitis A. Orlando, FL: Academic Press, 1984: 133–61.Google Scholar
4.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Food-borne hepatitis A – Alaska, Florida, North Carolina, Washington. MMWR 1990; 39: 228–32.Google Scholar
5.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Food-borne hepatitis A – Missouri, Wisconsin, and Alaska, 1990–1992. MMWR 1993; 42: 526–9.Google Scholar
6.Schoenbaum, SC, Baker, O, Jezek, Z. Common-source outbreak of hepatitis due to glazed and iced pastries. Am J Epidemiol 1976; 104: 74–80.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7.Roueché, B. The West Branch Study. In: The medical detectives. New York: Washington Square Press, 1982: 233–52.Google Scholar
8.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Case study: An outbreak of jaundice in a rural county. Atlanta, GA: CDC, 1970.Google Scholar
9.Kleinbaum, DG, Kupper, LL, Morgenstern, H. Epidemiologic research: principles and quantitative methods. New York, NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1982: 394–7.Google Scholar
10.Martin, D, Austin, H. An efficient program for computing maximum likelihood estimates and exact confidence limits for a common odds ratio. Epidemiol 1991; 2: 359–62.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11.Greenland, S, Robins, JM. Estimation of a common effect parameter from sparse follow-up data. Biometrics 1985; 41: 55–68.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12.Sobsey, MD, Shields, PA, Hauchman, FS, et al. Survival and persistence of hepatitis A virus in environmental samples. In: Zuckerman, AJ, ed. Viral hepatitis and liver disease. New York: Alan R Liss, 1988: 121–4.Google Scholar
13.Francis, DP, Maynard, JE. The transmission and outcome of hepatitis A, B, and non-A, non-B: A review. Epidemiol Rev 1979; 1: 17–31.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14.McCaustland, KA, Bond, WW, Bradley, WP, Ebert, JW, Maynard, JE. Survival of hepatitis A virus in feces after drying and storage for one month. J Clin Microbiol 1982; 16: 957–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15.Lemon, SM. Type A viral hepatitis: New developments in an old disease. N Engl J Med 1985; 313: 1059–67.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16.Levy, BS, Fontaine, RE, Smith, CA, et al. A large food-borne outbreak of hepatitis A: Possible contamination via oropharyngeal secretions. JAMA 1975; 234: 289–94.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17.Osterholm, MT, Kantor, RJ, Bradley, DW, et al. Immunoglobulin M-specific serologic testing in an outbreak of foodborne viral hepatitis, type A. Am J Epidemiol 1980; 112: 8–16.Google Scholar
18.Boyd, M. New directions in supermarkets. Incentive 1994; 168: 41–5.Google Scholar
19.Chanil, D. Wholesale clubs: A new era? Discount Merchandiser 1994; 34: 38–51.Google Scholar
20.Kotler, P, Armstrong, G. Principles of marketing, 6th ed.Englewood Cliffs, NJ; Prentice Hall, 1994: 105–26.Google Scholar
21.David Shepard Associates. The new direct marketing, 2nd ed.Burr Ridge, IL; Irwin Professional Publishing; 1995: 53–76.Google Scholar
22.New York State Department of Health. State Sanitary Code, Part 14, Food Service Establishments, 1992; 10 NYCRR 14–.1.Google Scholar