Drainage systems (plumbing) and possible aerosolization of bacteria

[Bobby Krishna]

Public health professionals should consider drainage systems (plumbing) and possible aerosolization of bacteria as a potential source of foodborne outbreaks after a Salmonella outbreak involving 67 reported cases was linked to a Quebec restaurant in May 2020. An initial inspection of the restaurant by authorities – including the evaluation of hygiene and food safety, the search for cases of illness among workers, and food sampling – was unable to establish the source of the outbreak. However, environmental samples showed that the restaurant's kitchen drains were contaminated with the same strain of Salmonella Montevideo as the cases in the outbreak. Read this article, "Investigation of a Salmonella Montevideo Outbreak Related to the Environmental Contamination of a Restaurant Kitchen Drainage System, Quebec, Canada, 2020–2021," in the October 2023 issue of IAFP's Journal of Food Protection.


https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/journal-of-food-protection/vol/86/issue/10


Regards

Bobby Krishna
@foodsafetydubai