EPIDEMIOLOGICAL-STUDIES ON SALMONELLA IN A CERTAIN AREA (WALCHEREN PROJECT) .3. PRESENCE OF SALMONELLA IN MAN, INSECTS, SEAGULLS AND IN FOODS, CHOPPING-BLOCK SCRAPINGS FROM BUTCHERS SHOPS, EFFLUENT OF SEWAGE-TREATMENT PLANTS AND DRAINS OF BUTCHERS SHOPS

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 242  (4) , 468-480
Abstract
For 3 mo. in a relatively small area (Walcheren, Netherlands), various materials (meat and meat products, insects, seagull droppings, chopping-block scrapings from butcher''s shops, effluent of sewage treatment plants, drains from butcher''s shops and stools of patients) were examined for the presence of Salmonella. S. typhimurium (27.5%), S. panama (22.2%) and S. brandenburg (9.2%) were the 3 most frequently isolated serotypes. The 3 most frequently isolated phage types of S. typhimurium were II 505 (62.1%), II 502 (5.3%) and I 650 (4.2%). The serotypes and phage types were present in almost all the materials examined which emphasizes the fact that there are contamination cycles of Salmonella. The route of contamination divides in the butcher''s shops. Salmonella organisms carried with the meat from the slaughterhouse find their way into the drains, and through meat and meat products, to the consumer. The high degree of contamination of effluent is not in accordance with the small number of cases of salmonellosis in man.