Outbreak of Salmonella Newport associated with internationally distributed raw goats' milk cheese, France, 2018.

Raw milk cheeses are commonly consumed in France and are also a common source of foodborne outbreaks (FBOs). Both an FBO surveillance system and a laboratory-based surveillance system aim to detect Salmonella outbreaks. In early August 2018, five familial FBOs due to Salmonella spp. were reported to a regional health authority. Investigation identified common exposure to a raw goats' milk cheese, from which Salmonella spp. were also isolated, leading to an international product recall. Three weeks later, on 22 August, a national increase in Salmonella Newport ST118 was detected through laboratory surveillance. Concomitantly isolates from the earlier familial clusters were confirmed as S. Newport ST118. Interviews with a selection of the laboratory-identified cases revealed exposure to the same cheese, including exposure to batches not included in the previous recall, leading to an expansion of the recall. The outbreak affected 153 cases, including six cases in Scotland. S. Newport was detected in the cheese and in the milk of one of the producer's goats. The difference in the two alerts generated by this outbreak highlight the timeliness of the FBO system and the precision of the laboratory-based surveillance system. It is also a reminder of the risks associated with raw milk cheeses.

Cluster of two cases of botulism due to Clostridium baratii type F in France, November 2014.

The first two cases in France of botulism due to Clostridium baratii type F were identified in November 2014, in the same family. Both cases required prolonged respiratory assistance. One of the cases had extremely high toxin serum levels and remained paralysed for two weeks. Investigations strongly supported the hypothesis of a common exposure during a family meal with high level contamination of the source. However, all analyses of leftover food remained negative.

Surveillance for outbreaks of gastroenteritis in elderly long-term care facilities in France, November 2010 to May 2012.

This article describes outbreaks of gastroenteritis in elderly long-term care facilities (LTCF) in France from November 2010 to May 2012 reported through the surveillance system for gastroenteritis outbreaks in LTCF. A total of 1,072 outbreaks were reported, causing 26,551 episodes of illness and 60 deaths. The median attack rate (AR) among residents was 32%. Norovirus and person-to-person transmission were the most frequently reported aetiology and mode of transmission. Control measures were implemented in 1,054 (98%) outbreaks and for 928 outbreaks, the timing of such measures could be inferred. Of these, 799 (86%) had put control measures into effect within three days of the occurrence of the first case. Outbreaks of gastroenteritis in LTCF cause substantial morbidity and mortality among elderly people in France. LTCF are encouraged to develop infection prevention and control plans and to notify any gastroenteritis outbreak to health authorities to ensure rapid control.

The French human Salmonella surveillance system: evaluation of timeliness of laboratory reporting and factors associated with delays, 2007 to 2011.

Given the regular occurrence of salmonellosis outbreaks in France, evaluating the timeliness of laboratory reporting is critical for maintaining an effective surveillance system. Laboratory-confirmed human cases of Salmonella infection from whom strains were isolated from 2007 to 2011 in France (n=38,413) were extracted from the surveillance database. Three delay intervals were defined: transport delay (strain isolation, transport from primary laboratory to national reference laboratory), analysis delay (serotyping, reporting) and total reporting delay. We calculated the median delay in days and generated the cumulative delay distribution for each interval. Variables were tested for an association with reporting delay using a multivariable generalised linear model. The median transport and analysis delays were 7 and 6 days respectively (interquartile range (IQR: 6-10 and 4-9 respectively), with a median total reporting delay of 14 days (IQR: 11-19). Timeliness was influenced by various external factors: decreasing serotype frequency, geographical zone of primary laboratory and strain isolation on Sundays were the variables most strongly associated with increased length of delay. The effect of season and day of the week of isolation was highly variable over the study period. Several areas for interventions to shorten delays are identified and discussed for both transport and analysis delays.

Outbreak of haemolytic uraemic syndrome due to Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O104:H4 among French tourists returning from Turkey, September 2011.

Eight cases of diarrhoea, including two cases of haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS), were identified among 22 French tourists who travelled to Turkey in September 2011. A strain of Escherichia coli O104:H4 stx2-positive, eae-negative, hlyA-negative, aggR-positive, ESBL-negative was isolated from one HUS case. Molecular analyses show this strain to be genetically similar but not indistinguishable from the E. coli O104:H4 2011 outbreak strain of France and Germany. Although the source of infection was not identified, we conclude that the HUS cases had probably been infected in Turkey.

Nationwide outbreak of Salmonella enterica serotype 4,[5],12:i:- infection associated with consumption of dried pork sausage, France, November to December 2011.

An outbreak of the monophasic variant of Salmonella enterica serotype 4,[5],12:i:- occurred in November and December 2011 in France. Epidemiological investigation and food investigation with the help of supermarket loyalty cards suggested dried pork sausage from one producer as the most likely source of the outbreak. Despite the absence of positive food samples, control measures including withdrawal and recall were implemented.

Automated early warning system for the surveillance of Salmonella isolated in the agro-food chain in France.

Non-typhic Salmonella is one of the major bacterial pathogens that cause foodborne infections as well as economic losses for the food production industry. There is therefore a need to improve early detection to prevent the emergence and spread of Salmonella within the agro-food chain. The passive laboratory-based surveillance system of the Salmonella network has been integrated into the French Food Safety Agency's working plan. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of this network to detect unusual Salmonella contamination as early as possible in the agro-food chain. Three statistical methods were used to detect unusual events from the time-series of counts. After an experimental period of more than 1 year, this approach detected several unusual events linked to contamination in the agro-food chain that were confirmed in a timely manner at national or regional levels. This evaluation also reinforced the position of the Salmonella network as an integral part of the national public health surveillance system.

Food poisoning outbreaks linked to mussels contaminated with okadaic acid and ester dinophysistoxin-3 in France, June 2009.

In June 2009, 11 outbreaks of food poisoning occurred in France, involving 45 individuals who had consumed mussels harvested in Vilaine Bay (Northwestern France). Because the toxic dinoflagellate Dinophysis spp. had been detected in the area from mid-May, okadaic acid (OA) and dinophysistoxins were suspected to be the cause of these outbreaks, although the weekly monitoring tests by mouse bioassay had been negative. With the help of the French reporting system for food-borne disease outbreaks, the detailed data on epidemiology, mussel consumption and complete product traceback, were collected for 11 individuals involved in three reported outbreaks. The batch of mussels identified as the source of these three outbreaks contained concentrations of toxins of the okadaic acid group that were approximately eight times higher than the European regulatory limit. Moreover, based on the consumption data available for the 11 cases, a lowest observable adverse effects level (LOAEL) was deduced. The LOAEL calculated from this study, although based on a very limited number of individuals, was in the same range, i.e. approximately 50 µg OA equivalents per person, as the LOAEL established by the European Food Safety Authority in 2006.

Nationwide outbreak of Salmonella enterica serotype 4,12:i:- infections in France, linked to dried pork sausage, March-May 2010.

In May 2010, a nationwide excess of infections with the specific monophasic variant Salmonella enterica serotype 4,12:i:- was investigated in France. Subtyping with multilocus variable number of tandem repeats analysis revealed a distinct epidemic strain within this excess. Epidemiological investigations identified a dried pork sausage sold by a particular chain of supermarkets as the likely vehicle of transmission. The suspected batches have been withdrawn and recalled.

Norovirus outbreaks linked to oyster consumption in the United Kingdom, Norway, France, Sweden and Denmark, 2010.

This paper reports on several simultaneous outbreaks of norovirus infection linked to the consumption of raw oysters. Since January 2010, 334 cases in 65 clusters were reported from five European countries: the United Kingdom, Norway, France, Sweden and Denmark. The article describes the available epidemiological and microbiological evidence of these outbreaks.

Outbreak of Salmonella enterica serotype Muenster infections associated with goat's cheese, France, March 2008.

Salmonella enterica serotype Muenster (hereafter referred to as S. Muenster) is rare in France and in Europe. In France, a nationwide outbreak of gastrointestinal illness due to S. Muenster occurred during March and April 2008. Twenty-five laboratory-confirmed cases of S. Muenster were documented by telephone using a trawling questionnaire. Four patients were admitted to hospital and no death was recorded. Among the 21 interviewed cases, 16 reported consumption of goat's cheese in the days prior to symptoms. The investigation incriminated goat's cheese from producer X as being the most likely source of the outbreak. S. Muenster was isolated from both cases and the incriminated goat's cheese. The pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profiles of the food isolates of producer X and the isolates from cases were indistinguishable. Following the withdrawal of the contaminated batch of cheese, the number of cases decreased to its usual level. To our knowledge, this is the first published outbreak of S. Muenster associated with food consumption in Europe.

Excess of infections due to a multi-drug sensitive Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium in France in June 2008.

An unusually high number of cases of Salmonella Typhimurium was reported in France in June 2008. In the course of epidemiological investigations 112 cases were ascertained, of whom 75 were interviewed. Subtyping by PFGE and MLVA identified a strain named "majority profile". Subtyping results were available for 45 interviewed cases, 30 of whom (majority below 15 years of age) were found to be infected with the majority profile strain. Evidence suggested the occurrence of an outbreak due to a monoclonal S. Typhimurium strain with the single PFGE profile XTYM-50. Cases with identical PFGE profile were also detected in Switzerland but no link with outbreaks occurring in the same period in Denmark and in the Netherlands was found. Contamination of a product distributed nationally was suggested as the cause of the outbreak but investigations did not reveal any specific food source.

[Conformal radiotherapy to 76Gy in localized prostate cancer. Therapeutic modalities and preliminary results]. / Radiothérapie conformationnelle à 76Gy des cancers localisés de la prostate. Modalités thérapeutiques et résultats préliminaires.

PURPOSE: To describe therapeutic modalities for localized prostate cancer treated by conformal radiation to 76Gy with or without androgen ablation. To evaluate the preliminary results in terms of survival, biological control and toxicity. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Between January 1998 and June 2001, 321 patients with localized prostate cancer were irradiated at institut Curie. Tumors were stratified into the three Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center prognostic groups (1998) for analysis: favorable risk group (FG) 23%, intermediate risk group (IG) 36.5%, unfavorable risk group (UG) 40.5%. Androgen deprivation, mainly neoadjuvant, less or equal to one year was prescribed to 93.8% of patients (72.6% less or equal to six months). Planning target volume prescription doses were: prostate: 76Gy, seminal vesicles: 56 to 76Gy, and pelvic lymph nodes: 44Gy to 16.8% of patients. RESULTS: The five-year actuarial overall survival was 94% (95% IC: 90-97%). The median post-therapeutic follow-up was 36 months (nine to 60 months). The 48-month actuarial rates of biochemical control for the three prognostic groups were statistically different according to both the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology consensus (ASTRO 1997) and the Fox Chase Cancer Center definitions of biochemical failure (FCCC 2000) with respectively 87 and 94% for FG, 78 and 84% for IG, 54 and 58% for UG (P<10(-6) and P<10(-8)). At time of our analysis, late post-treatment rectal and bladder bleedings were 17,4 and 13,6%, respectively. According to a 1-4 scale adapted from M.D. Anderson Cancer Center criteria: rectal bleedings were grade 1 (9.6%), grade 2 (6.2%) and grade 3 (1.6%). Bladder bleedings were grade 2 (13%) and grade 3 (0.6%). Analysis of rectal bleeding risk factors showed significant correlations with pelvic lymph nodes irradiation for grade 2 and 3, (P=0.02), and for all grades, a correlation with smaller rectal wall volumes (P=0.03), and greater percentages of rectal wall irradiated to higher doses: 65, 70, 72 and 75Gy (P=0.02, P=0.01, P=0.0007 and P=0.003, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: These results are comparable to those previously reported with the same follow-up. Impact of dose escalation with short androgen deprivation on local control, survival and complications needs longer follow-up and further analysis.

Nationwide pseudo-outbreak of Salmonella enterica ssp. diarizonae, France.

To investigate an increased incidence of human cultures growing Salmonella enterica ssp. diarizonae serotype 61:k:1,5,7 in France in 2008, we reviewed medical records of case patients and identified the material used during invasive procedures and for bacterial culture. Trace-back investigations incriminated culture media containing contaminated sheep blood agar.

Infectious diseases in the first year of life, perinatal characteristics and childhood acute leukaemia.

The objective of the present study was to investigate the role of early common infections and perinatal characteristics in the aetiology of childhood common leukaemia. A case-control study was conducted from 1995 to 1998 in France, and included 473 incident cases of acute leukaemia (AL) (408 acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), 65 acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) age-, sex- and region-matched with 567 population-based controls. Data on the medical history of the child and his/her environment were collected using self-administered questionnaires. Analyses were conducted using nonconditional logistic regression. A slight negative association with early infections was observed (OR=0.8; 95% CI (0.6-1.0)). The association was stronger for early gastrointestinal infections. Early day-care was found to be associated with a decreased risk of AL (OR=0.6; 95% CI (0.4-0.8) and OR=0.8; 95% CI (0.5-1.2) for day-care starting before age 3 months and between 3 and 6 months, respectively). No association with breast-feeding was observed, irrespective of its duration. A birth order of 4 or more was associated with a significantly increased risk of AL (OR=2.0; 95% CI (1.1-3.7) with ALL). A history of asthma was associated with a decreased risk of ALL (OR 0.5; 95% CI (0.3-0.90). Although the results regarding birth order and breast-feeding do not fit with Greaves' hypothesis, the study supports the hypothesis that early common infections may play a protective role in the aetiology of childhood leukaemia, although this effect was not more marked for common ALL.