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Foodborne Giardiasis in a Corporate Office Setting

1993; Oxford University Press; Volume: 167; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1093/infdis/167.1.250

1537-6613

Eric D. Mintz, M. H. Wragg, P. Mshar, Matthew Cartter, James L. Hadler,

Diverse Academic Research Areas

Giardiasis is the most commonly reported intestinal protozoal infection worldwide, but its relatively long incubation period and often insidious onset make detection of common-source outbreaks difficult. Few well-documented foodborne outbreaks of giardiasis have been reported. In November 1990, such an outbreak among insurance company employees resulted in 18 laboratory-confirmed and 9 suspected cases of giardiasis. A case-control study of 26 ill and 162 well employees implicated raw sliced vegetables served in the employee cafeteria and prepared by a food handler infected with Giardia lamblia as the probable vehicle (odds ratio, 5.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.4-22.7). This outbreak illustrates the potential for transmission of Giardia organisms to occur in commercial establishments through a frequently served food item.