1 week Ago By Joe Whitworth
More than 40 children were sickened in a Salmonella outbreak in France in 2024 that was traced to raw milk cheese. In late March 2024, three cases of salmonellosis were reported at a nursery affecting children aged 3 to 5 in the Pays de la Loire region of western France. During the following weeks, additional cases were recorded from the same region, affecting three other nursery and primary schools.
The outbreak strain was monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium. Pays de la Loire Regional Health Agency (ARS) was notified of the initial cases in Loire-Atlantique. Parents of each patient were contacted by telephone by the ARS and Santé publique France to collect information.
Three letters with information were sent to parents in March and April 2024. An investigation identified 41 cases of salmonellosis among pupils, including 19 microbiologically and genomically confirmed cases, 15 probable patients and seven possible cases. Twenty infections occurred in children younger then age of 5.
Overall, 25 cases were male and 16 were female. School cafeteria link The first peak occurred from March 15 to 19, involving five students. The second began on March 30 and involved 36 students.
An index case was identified with a date of symptom onset of February 24, in a child with a medical history. This child had two more episodes of gastroenteritis on March 21 and 31. Symptoms were mainly diarrhea, abdominal pain, and/or fever.
Two children were briefly hospitalized. Between the three sites, only the shared school dining area was a common place of attendance. This cafeteria served around 700 meals per day.
The veterinary investigation raised suspicions about raw cow’s milk cheese in the fridge, which was traced back to the producer’s farm. The outbreak strain was isolated in cheese samples from the school restaurant and the farm. No contamination source at the farm was identified.
The remaining cheese from incriminated batches was withdrawn from sale and destroyed. A Tomme cheese tested positive for the outbreak strain. This batch was manufactured on Jan.
18, 2024, and delivered to the cafeteria on April 2. It was served at the school on April 4. The farm produced and sold raw milk and raw cow’s milk cheeses.
Routine tests carried out by the producer on December 19 for raw milk and Feb. 20, 2024, for Tomme cheese were compliant. A second Tomme cheese, produced on Jan.
16, 2024, also tested positive for the outbreak strain. This cheese was not sold and was destroyed. Reminder of recommendations Following positive results on the cheeses, the dairy farm reported supplying three other schools but no unusual episodes of gastroenteritis were identified.
A farm inspection did not reveal any non-compliances in the manufacturing process. After a meeting in April 2024, with all investigation partners, it was requested that raw milk cheese should no longer be served in the school cafeteria to children, particularly those under 5 years old. No cases were reported following the ban on serving raw milk cheese to this age group.
“This investigation highlights the importance of respecting the recommendation not to serve raw milk cheeses to young children and especially those under 5 years of age in school restaurants. The absence of heat treatment makes it impossible to control the risk of contamination by pathogenic bacteria,” said researchers. (To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here ).
