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Staphylococcal food poisoning on a cruise ship

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 October 2009

Stephen H. Waterman
Affiliation:
Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Thomas A. Demarcus
Affiliation:
Los Angeles Quarantine Station, Division of Quarantine, Center for Prevention Services, Centers for Disease Control, Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles, California, USA,
Joy G. Wells
Affiliation:
Enteric Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial Diseases, Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Paul A. Blake
Affiliation:
Enteric Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial Diseases, Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Summary

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Two waves of vomiting and/or diarrhoea affected approximately 215 of the 715 passengers on a Caribbean cruise ship. The outbreak was independently associated with eating cream-filled pastries at two separate meals. Staphylococcus aureus phage type 85/+ was isolated from cases and pastry cooks, but not from controls. This is the first well-documented outbreak of staphylococcal food poisoning on a cruise ship.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1987

References

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