Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-dnltx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-18T11:32:31.729Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Serving High-Risk Foods in a High-Risk Setting: Survey of Hospital Food Service Practices after an Outbreak of Listeriosis in a Hospital

Part of: BARRY FARR AWARD RECIPIENTS

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Carolyn Cokes ,
Anne Marie France ,
Vasudha Reddy ,
Heather Hanson ,
Lillian Lee ,
Laura Kornstein ,
Faina Stavinsky  and
Sharon Balter
Carolyn Cokes
Affiliation:
Bureau of Communicable Disease, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, New York
Anne Marie France
Affiliation:
Bureau of Communicable Disease, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, New York Epidemic Intelligence Service, Office of Workforce and Career Development, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
Vasudha Reddy*
Affiliation:
Bureau of Communicable Disease, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, New York
Heather Hanson
Affiliation:
Bureau of Communicable Disease, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, New York
Lillian Lee
Affiliation:
Public Health Laboratory, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, New York
Laura Kornstein
Affiliation:
Public Health Laboratory, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, New York
Faina Stavinsky
Affiliation:
Environmental Health Services, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, New York
Sharon Balter
Affiliation:
Bureau of Communicable Disease, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, New York
*
125 Worth Street, CN22a, Room 218, New York, NY 10013-4089 (vreddy@health.nyc.gov)
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background and Objectives.

Prepared ready-to-eat salads and ready-to-eat delicatessen-style meats present a high risk for Listeria contamination. Because no foodborne illness risk management guidelines exist specifically for US hospitals, a survey of New York City (NYC) hospitals was conducted to characterize policies and practices after a listeriosis outbreak occurred in a NYC hospital.

Methods.

From August through October 2008, a listeriosis outbreak in a NYC hospital was investigated. From February through April 2009, NYC's 61 acute-care hospitals were asked to participate in a telephone survey regarding food safety practices and policies, specifically service of high-risk foods to patients at increased risk for listeriosis.

Results.

Five patients with medical conditions that put them at high risk for listeriosis had laboratory-confirmed Listeria monocytogenes infection. The Listeria outbreak strain was isolated from tuna salad prepared in the hospital. Fifty-four (89%) of 61 hospitals responded to the survey. Overall, 81% of respondents reported serving ready-to-eat deli meats to patients, and 100% reported serving prepared ready-to-eat salads. Pregnant women, patients receiving immunosuppressive drugs, and patients undergoing chemotherapy were served ready-to-eat deli meats at 77%, 59%, and 49% of hospitals, respectively, and were served prepared ready-to-eat salads at 94%, 89%, and 73% of hospitals, respectively. Only 4 (25%) of 16 respondents reported having a policy that ready-to-eat deli meats must be heated until steaming hot before serving.

Conclusions.

Despite the potential for severe outcomes of Listeria infection among hospitalized patients, the majority of NYC hospitals had no food preparation policies to minimize risk. Hospitals should implement policies to avoid serving high-risk foods to patients at risk for listeriosis.

Type
Original Article
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 32 , Issue 4 , April 2011 , pp. 380 - 386
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Iwamoto, M, Olson, C, Schlundt, J. Listeriosis. In: Heymann, D, ed. Control of Communicable Diseases Manual. 19th ed. Washington, DC: American Public Health Association, 2008:357–361.Google Scholar
2. Walker, SJ, Archer, P, Banks, J. Growth of Listeria monocytogenes at refrigeration temperatures. J Appi Bacteriol 1990;68:157–162.Google Scholar
3. Lunden, J, Miettinen, M, Autio, T, Korkeala, H. Persistent Listeria monocytogenes strains show enhanced adherence to food contact surface after short contact times. J Food Prot 2000;63(9):1204–1207.10.4315/0362-028X-63.9.1204Google Scholar
4. Burnett, SL, Mertz, EL, Bennie, B, Ford, T, Starobin, A. Growth or survival of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat meat products and combination deli salads during refrigerated storage. J Food Sci 2005;70(6):M301–M304.10.1111/j.1365-2621.2005.tb11451.xGoogle Scholar
5. Hwang, C-A, Marmer, BS. Growth of Listeria monocytogenes in egg salad and pasta salad formulated with mayonnaise of various pH and stored at refrigerated and abuse temperatures. Food Microbiol 2007;24:211–218.Google Scholar
6. Ryser, E, Marth, E, eds. Listeria, listeriosis, and food safety. 3rd ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 2007.10.1201/9781420015188Google Scholar
7. Lorber, B. Listeria monocytogenes. In: Mandeli, G, Bennett, J, Dolin, R, eds. Mandeli, Doughs, and Bennett's Principles and Practices of Infectious Diseases. 6th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier, 2005:2478–2484.Google Scholar
8. Gerner-Smidt, P, Ethelberg, S, Schiellerup, P, et al. Invasive listeriosis in Denmark 1994-2003: a review of 299 cases with special emphasis on risk factors for mortality. Clin Microbiol Infect 2005;11(8):618–624.Google Scholar
9. Koch, J, Stark, K. Significant increase of listeriosis in Germany— epidemiological patterns 2001-2005. Euro Surveill 2006;11(6):85–88.Google Scholar
10. de Valk, H, Jacquet, C, Goulet, V, et al. Listeria Surveillance Feasibility Study participants: surveillance of Listeria infections in Europe. Euro Surveill 2005;10(10):251–255.10.2807/esm.10.10.00572-enGoogle Scholar
11. Gellin, BG, Broome, CV. Listeriosis. JAMA 1989;261(9):1313–1320.10.1001/jama.1989.03420090077035Google Scholar
12. Paul, M, Dwyer, D, Chow, C, et al. Listeriosis: a review of eighty-four cases. Med J Aust 1994;160(8):489–493.10.5694/j.1326-5377.1994.tb138313.xGoogle Scholar
13. Safdar, A, Armstrong, D. Listeriosis in patients at a comprehensive cancer center, 1955-1997. Clin Infect Dis 2003;37:359–364.10.1086/376631Google Scholar
14. Fishman, J, Rubin, R. Infection in organ-transplant recipients. N Engl J Med 1998;338(24):1741–1751.10.1056/NEJM199806113382407Google Scholar
15. Chang, J, Powles, R, Mehta, J, Paton, N, Treleaven, J, Jameson, B. Listeriosis in bone marrow transplant recipients: incidence, clinical features, and treatment. Clin Infect Dis 1995;21(5):1289–1290.Google Scholar
16. Mascola, L, Sondilo, F, Neal, J, Iwakoshi, K, Weaver, R. Surveillance of listeriosis in Los Angeles County, 1985-1986: a first year's report. Arch Intern Med 1989;149(7):1569–1572.Google Scholar
17. Angulo, F, Swerdlow, D. Bacterial enteric infections in persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus. Clin Infect Dis 1995;21(suppl 1):S84–S93.Google Scholar
18. Graham, J, Lanser, S, Bignardi, G, Pedler, S, Hollyoak, V. Hospital-acquired listeriosis. J Hosp Infect 2002;51:136–139.10.1053/jhin.2002.1234Google Scholar
19. Murray, P, Baron, E, Jorgensen, J, Landray, M, Pfaller, M. Manual of Clinical Microbiology. 9th ed. Washington, DC: ASM Press, 2007.Google Scholar
20. Graves, L, Swaminathan, B. PulseNet standardized protocol for subtyping Listeria monocytogenes by macrorestriction and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Int J Food Microbiol 2001;65(1-2):55–62.Google Scholar
21. McCabe-Sellers, BJ, Beattie, SE. Food safety: emerging trends in foodborne illness surveillance and prevention. J Am Diet Assoc 2004;104:1708–1717.10.1016/j.jada.2004.08.028Google Scholar
22. National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne, and Enteric Diseases. Listeriosis: general information. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009. http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/divisions/dfbmd/diseases/listeriosis/. Accessed July 20, 2010.Google Scholar
23. Government of South Australia Department of Health. Food safety: guidelines for the control of Listeria in hospital food service. December 2005.Google Scholar