[Radiosensitivity of Vibrio cholerae O1 incorporated in oysters, to (60)CO]. / Estudo da radiosensibilidade ao 60Co do Vibrio cholerae O1 incorporado em ostras.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the effect of ionizing irradiation by 60Co on Vibrio cholerae O1, El-Tor, Ogawa, non-toxigenic, incorporated in live oysters Crassostrea brasiliana. METHODS: Samples of oysters were selected from Cananéia town in the South coast of S. Paulo state, Brazil, contaminated with Vibrio cholerae and irradiated with 60Co at 0.5 and 1.0 kGy dosages. RESULTS: Showed significant reductions of the initial number of V. cholerae, ranging from 3.4 x10(7) to 10(3) and 10(2), respectively. The D10 values related with the respective doses of irradiation were 0.173 and 0.235. CONCLUSION: Considering a 6 value as safety factor, it is concluded that 1.41 kGy irradiation dosage is necessary to eliminate a high number of V. cholerae viable cells in oysters. Controls were used in the experiment.

[Food borne disease outbreaks caused by Salmonella enteritidis]. / Surtos de enfermidades transmitidas por alimentos causados por Salmonella enteritidis.

OBJECTIVE: It is to describe outbreaks of salmonellosis reported from July 1993 through June 1997 in the Northwest region of S. Paulo State, Brazil, one of the areas where several foodborne outbreaks of salmonellosis have been recently detected. METHOD: Data of 19 epidemiological investigations were analysed; 87 stool specimens and 38 food samples (including 12 of shell eggs) were processed for microbiological analysis. Salmonella strains were identified by serotyping, phagetyping and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. RESULTS: There were 906 ill persons including 295 hospitalized patients. Phage type 4 (PT 4) Salmonella Enteritidis strains were isolated from 80.5% of stool samples, from all food samples and from 41.7% of eggs. Of the outbreaks, 95.7% were associated with the consumption of food containing raw or undercooked eggs. All strains were susceptible to the 13 antimicrobials, except the strains from the nosocomial outbreak. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained show the need for the implementation of control measures regarding egg and storage, as well as for guidance to the public as to the risks involved in the consumption of inadequately prepared eggs.

Estudo da sensibilidade in vitro de diferentes cepas de vibrio cholerae 01 à raiaçäo gama de 60Co / Study about the sensibility in vitro of different strains of vibrio cholerae 01 exposed to 60 Co gamma radiation

A presença de certos microrganismos nos alimentos ou de metabolitos originados durante sua multiplicaçäo pode dar lugar a várias enfermidades no homem: as intoxicaçöes e as infecçöes alimentares. Dentre os agentes causadores das Enfermidades Transmitidas por Alimentos encontra-se o Vibrio cholerae 01. Estudou-se no presente trabalho a radiossensibilidade in vitro de quatro cepas de V cholerae 01, submetidas ao tratamento com diferentes doses de radiaçäo ionizante de 60 sobrescrito Co, e compararam-se os resultados obtidos com dados da literatura relacionados a problemas de veiculaçäo alimentar de bactérias patogênicas, incluindo a água

[Food poisoning outbreak caused by Salmonella Enteritidis in the northwest of São Paulo State, Brazil]. / Surto alimentar por Salmonella Enteritidis no Noroeste do Estado de São Paulo, Brasil.

A foodborne outbreak which affected 211 persons occurred, in a School, in 1993. The epidemiological data obtained by interviewing the affected and non affected persons sampled showed as predominant symptoms: diarrhoea, fever (77.7%), abdominal cramps (67.7%), vomiting (65.8%), hot-and-cold sensations (54.5%) and headache (44.5%). The median incubation period was of 17 hours, the limits being 3 and 29 hours. The disease period was of from 3 to 4 days. The food concerned was a kind of paté, a mayonnaise mixture prepared with fresh eggs with boiled potatoes that was consumed with bread. The biological material analysis-3 coprocultures, and leftovers of the food revealed the presence of one and the same organism: Salmonella Enteritidis. In the food, the numbers of this bacterium per gram were sufficient to account for the manifestation of the disease (10(4) and 10(5)g). The antibiogram of all th isolates showed the same sensibility pattern. The preparation related to this outbreak suggests the endogenous contamination of the eggs; the cross contamination-the outbreak affected three school periods, as the food was prepared separately for each school period; and the conditions under which the food was kept during the time from preparation to consumption. The observation of the 3 food handlers, by successive coprocultures, for one week, indicates that they were not asymptomatic carriers nor were they affected as a result of this outbreak by the causal bacteria.

Surto alimentar por Salmonella Enteritidis no Noroeste do Estado de Säo Paulo, Brasil / Outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis in northwest of S. Paulo State, Brazil

Em 1993 ocorreu um surto alimentar em escola, com 211 afetados. Os dados epidemiológicos levantados por entrevista de amostragem de afetados e näo afetados mostraram que os sintomas predominantes foram diarréia, febre (77,7 porcento), dor abdominal (67,7 porcento) e vômito (65,8 porcento), calafrios (54,5 porcento) e cefaléia (44,5 porcento). A mediana de incubaçäo foi de 17 horas, com limites entre 3 e 29 horas. A duraçäo da doença foi de 3 a 4 dias. O alimento consumido foi um tipo de patê, mistura de molho de maionese preparada com ovos crus com batata cozida, passado em päo. A análise de material biológico (3 coproculturas) e de restos de alimentos, revelou a presença do mesmo microorganismo, a Salmonella Enteritidis. No caso dos alimentos, o núnero encontrado desta bactéria por gramo de produto era compatível com a quantidade de células necessária para desencadear a doença (10*4 e 10*5/g). O antibiograma de todas as cepas isoladas revelou o mesmo padräo de sensibilidade. As falhas no preparo de alimento relacionadas com o levantamento indicam a possibilidade de contaminaçäo endógena dos ovos; contaminaçäo cruzada - o surto afetou três períodos escolares, sendo que para cada um o alimento foi preparado em separado - e as condiçöes de manutençäo do alimento após preparo e até o consumo. A observaçäo por uma semana seguida das 3 merendeiras envolvidas, através de coprocultura, näo indicaram que as mesmas fossem portadoras assintomáticas desta bactéria ou que tivessem sido envolvidas no surto em questäo