Gastroenteritis Outbreak at an Air Force Base in Greece
Author Information
Author(s): Jelastopulu Eleni, Venieri Danai, Komninou Georgia, Kolokotronis Theodoros, Constantinidis Theodoros C, Bantias Christos
Primary Institution: Laboratory of Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Greece
Hypothesis
What was the source of the gastroenteritis outbreak among soldiers at the Air Force base?
Conclusion
The outbreak was caused by Staphylococcus aureus in grated cheese served for lunch.
Supporting Evidence
- Over 600 out of 1,050 individuals who ate lunch became ill.
- The overall attack rate was at least 60%.
- The mean incubation period was 9 hours.
- The median duration of symptoms was 21 hours.
- S. aureus was detected in food samples, particularly in grated cheese.
Takeaway
Many soldiers got sick after eating lunch, and the cheese they ate had bad bacteria in it.
Methodology
A case-control study with 100 cases and 66 controls, using questionnaires and bacteriological examination of food samples.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the inability to reach all individuals who had lunch.
Limitations
Stool samples were not obtained for microbiological diagnosis due to the short duration of symptoms.
Participant Demographics
Soldiers and staff at an Air Force base.
Statistical Information
P-Value
370
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 48–7700
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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