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Frozen chicken nuggets and strips and eggs are leading risk factors for Salmonella Heidelberg infections in Canada

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 April 2005

A. CURRIE ,
L. MACDOUGALL ,
J. ARAMINI ,
C. GAULIN ,
R. AHMED  and
S. ISAACS
A. CURRIE
Affiliation:
Foodborne, Waterborne and Zoonotic Infections Division, Public Health Agency of Canada (formerly Health Canada), Guelph, Ontario, Canada
L. MACDOUGALL
Affiliation:
Epidemiology Services, British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Canadian Field Epidemiology Program, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
J. ARAMINI
Affiliation:
Foodborne, Waterborne and Zoonotic Infections Division, Public Health Agency of Canada (formerly Health Canada), Guelph, Ontario, Canada
C. GAULIN
Affiliation:
Ministère de la Santé et des Services Sociaux, Direction de la protection de la santé publique, Québec City, Québec, Canada
R. AHMED
Affiliation:
National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
S. ISAACS
Affiliation:
Foodborne, Waterborne and Zoonotic Infections Division, Public Health Agency of Canada (formerly Health Canada), Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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Abstract

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A case-control study was conducted from 1 January to 31 May 2003 to identify risk factors for S. Heidelberg infection in Canada. Controls were pair-matched by age group and telephone exchange to 95 cases. Exposures in the 7 days before illness/interview were assessed using multivariate conditional logistic regression. Consumption of home-prepared chicken nuggets and/or strips [matched odds ratio (mOR) 4·0, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·4–13·8], and undercooked eggs (mOR 7·5, 95% CI 1·5–75·5) increased the risk of illness. Exposure to a farm setting lowered the risk (mOR 0·22, 95% CI 0·03–1·00). The population-attributable fraction associated with chicken nuggets/strips was 34% and with undercooked eggs was 16%. One-third of study participants did not perceive, handle or prepare chicken nuggets and strips as high-risk products, although the majority of the products on the Canadian market are raw. These findings have prompted changes in product-labelling policy and consumer education.

Type
Research Article
Information
Epidemiology & Infection , Volume 133 , Issue 5 , October 2005 , pp. 809 - 816
Copyright
2005 Cambridge University Press