Salmonella Senftenberg Infections and Fennel Seed Tea, Serbia | CDC EID

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Volume 16, Number 5–May 2010
Letter
Salmonella Senftenberg Infections and Fennel Seed Tea, Serbia
Svetlana Ilić, Predrag Đurić , and Edita Grego
Authors affiliations: Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Serbia (S. Ilić, P. Đurić); and Institute of Public Health of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia (E. Grego)

Suggested citation for this article

To the Editor: The first documented outbreak of salmonellosis linked to consumption of plant products in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Serbia, occurred from March 2007 through September 2008. Fourteen cases of Salmonella enterica serotype Senftenberg infection were reported.

The yearly incidence of salmonellosis in Vojvodina during 2003–2007 ranged from 25/100,000 inhabitants to 70/100,000 inhabitants; 34 outbreaks were reported in 2007, caused predominately by S. enterica serotype Enteritidis (1). Most outbreaks were associated with consumption of food of animal origin (1,2). Salmonella spp. were isolated from seeds in 2004, when S. enterica serotype Mbandaka and S. enterica serotype Virchow were isolated from sesame seeds (3).

Before 2007, S. Senftenberg had rarely been identified in Vojvodina. During 2003, 3 cases were reported. In 2004–2005, no S. Senftenberg cases were reported. In 2006, 8 cases of S. Senftenberg infection were reported among infants <12 months of age. An outbreak investigation did not reveal the source of infection. Common to all of those infected was their age and their consumption of infant formula. Nonetheless, laboratory analysis of samples of the various formulas did not show any pathogens. Two additional cases occurred in 2007 among patients who were <12 months of age. These cases confirmed suspicion that the infections had a source other than formula. Further investigation led to the consideration of tea consumption as a possible factor.

In April 2008, a total of 3 infants <12 months of age with salmonellosis came to the attention of investigators. S. Enteritidis was first identified in the samples of their feces. One month later, feces samples from the 3 infants were tested again, and S. Senftenberg was isolated from all 3 specimens.

After these findings, the Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina conducted an outbreak investigation in collaboration with institutes of public health at the district level. A case was defined as the presence of a laboratory-confirmed S. Senftenberg infection during 2007–2008. All case-patients (or their parents) were interviewed by using a standard questionnaire for salmonellosis, which was expanded to include questions regarding tea consumption.

A standardized method of enterobacterial repetitive intragenic consensus (ERIC)–PCR, based on the method of Versalovic et al. (4), with ERIC-PCR with ERIC2 primer (5´AAGTAAGTGACTCGGGTGAGCG-3´), was applied. DNA was isolated by using the InvitrogenPure Link Genomic DNA purification kit (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA, USA). Gene sequences were amplified in a Perkin/Elmer thermal cycler (model 9600) (PerkinElmer, Waltham, MA, USA). A DNA ladder was constructed by using Gene Ruler 100-bp DNA Ladder Plus (Fermentas, Glen Burnie, MD, USA).

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Suggested Citation for this Article
Ilić S, Đurić P, Grego E. Salmonella Senftenberg infections and fennel seed tea, Serbia [letter]. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2010 May [date cited]. Available from http://www.cdc.gov/EID/content/16/5/893.htm

DOI: 10.3201/eid1605.091555