Table O-4: Examples of Reported Outbreaks of Foodborne Disease Associated with Seed Sprouts

Pathogen

Year

Location

Seed Source

Type of Sprout

No. of Cases

No. of Deaths

Isolated from Sprouts/Seeds

Comments

Reference

Bacillus cereus

1973

Texas

Uganda (soy), Holland (cress), and Denmark (mustard)

Soy, mustard, and cress

4

0

Yes/Yes

Sprouted from a home seed sprouting kit.

Portnoy and others 1976

Escherichia coli O157:H7

1996

Japan

NR^a

Radish

6561 (101 with HUS^b), 160 secondary cases

2

No/No

Contamination route unknown.

WHO, Weekly Epidemiological Record 1996a, 1996b

E. coli O157:H7

1997

Japan

NR

Radish

126

0

Yes/No

The pathogen was isolated from leftover sprouts in the refrigerator but not the seeds from the same seed lots.

See Feng 1997; Taormina and others 1999

E. coli O157:H7

1997

Michigan and Virginia

NR

Alfalfa

108

0

NR/NR

Sprouts were sprouted from same seed lot in both states.

CDC 1997d

E. coli O157:NM

1998

California

California and Nevada

Clover / Alfalfa

8

0

Yes/No

Sprouts were traced to a single sprouter. Contaminated seeds suspected (same sprouter as 1997-98 S.Senftenberg outbreak).

Farrar; pers comm; unreferenced; Taormina and others 1999

Salmonella Bovismorbificans

1994

Sweden and Finland

Australia

Alfalfa

595

0

Yes/No

Contaminated seeds came from the same seed lot and importer.

Ponka and others 1995

S. Enteriditis

(Note from SproutNet: this was S. Enteriditis PT 11B)

2000

Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada

China

Alfalfa (Note from SproutNet: This should be mung, not alfalfa)

8

0

NR/NR

Outbreaks occurred at 5 Vietnamese restaurants. Sprouts came from 2 growers who received seeds imported from China.

Farber 2000; personal communication; unreferenced

S. Enteriditis

2000

California

China

Mung

45

0

No/No

Cluster of illness linked to 3 Vietnamese restaurants. S. Enteriditis isolated from environment at sprouter.

California Dept. Health Services 2000; Farrar; pers comm; unreferenced

S. Gold-Coast

1989

U.K.

The Netherlands

Cress

31

0

Yes/No

Contaminated seed and/or sprouter.

Feng 1997; Taormina and others 1999

S. Havana

1998

California and Arizona

NR

Alfalfa

14 (California) 4 (Arizona)

1

No/Yes

Sprouts were traced to a single producer. Seeds obtained from the same lot yielded sprouts from which S. Havana was cultured.

Backer and others 2000

S. Havana / Cubana / Tennessee

1998

California

California

Alfalfa

34

0

Yes/Yes

Contaminated seeds were suspected.

Farrar; pers comm; unreferencd; Taormina and others 1999

S. Infantis and S. Anatum

1997

Kansas and Missouri

Unknown

Alfalfa

109

0

NR/NR

Seeds were believed to be contaminated.

Feng 1997; Taormina and others 1999

S. Mbandaka

1999

Oregon, California, Idaho, and Washington

California

Alfalfa

Appx. 68

0

Yes/Yes

Seeds were believed to come from the same lot and distributed to various growers in California, Florida, and Washington. No cases in Florida.

Farrar; personal communication; unreferenced

S. Meleagridis

1997

Canada

Unknown

Alfalfa

124

0

NR/NR

Sprouts were organically grown with no chlorine pre-soak.

See Feng 1997; Farber 2000; pers comm; unreferenced

S. Montevideo and S. Meleagridis

1996

California

California

Alfalfa

>500

1

Yes/No

The sprouts were traced to a specific sprouter. Seeds traced to single California seed grower. Contaminated seeds suspected.

Taormina and others 1999; Farrar; pers comm; unreferenced

S. Newport

1995

Denmark (probably US and Canada)

The Netherlands

Alfalfa

154

0

Yes/Yes

Seeds came from the same shipper as US/Canada outbreak (see below). Source of contamination unknown.

See Feng 1997; Farber 2000; personal communication; unreferenced

S. Newport

1995-96

British Columbia, Canada, Oregon (probably Georgia and Vermont) and Denmark

The Netherlands

Alfalfa

133

0

Yes/Yes

Organism isolated were indistinguishable form the Denmark outbreak (see above).

See Feng 1997; Taormina and others 1999

S. Paratyphi B var. Java

1999

Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan, Canada

Unknown

Alfalfa

46

0

NR/NR

Spouts were from the same brand or common seed source.

Farber 2000; personal communication; unreferenced

S. Saint-Paul

1988

U.K.

Thailand and Australia

Mung

143

0

Yes/Yes

Multiple serovars isolated from bean spouts, seeds, and environmental samples (from producer waste materials).

O'Mahony and others 1990

S. Saint-Paul
S. Havana
S. Muenchen

1988

Sweden

NR

Mung

148

0

Yes/NR

Probably same seeds as UK outbreak. S. Havana and S. Muenchen but not S. Saint-Paul isolated from sprouts.

See Nguyen-the and Carlin 2000; See O'Mahony and others 1990

S. Senftenberg

1997-98

California

5 US states

Alfalfa and clover sprouts

52

0

Yes/No

Sprouts were traced to a specific sprouter. Contaminated seeds suspected. Same sprouter as 1998 E. coli O157:NM outbreak.

Jeff Farrar; pers comm; unreferenced; Taormina and others 1999

S. Stanley

1995

Multistate, US, Canada and Finland

The Netherlands

Alfalfa

>272

0

No/No

Seeds came from the same sprouter. At least 4 seed lots involved. Possible contamination occurred prior to shipping.

Mahon and others 1997

S. Virchow

1988

U.K.

Thailand and Australia

Mung

7

0

Yes/NR

Probably from the same outbreak as S. Saint-Paul in UK.

O'Mahony and others 1990

Yersinia enterolitica

1982

Pennsylvania

Unknown

Bean sprouts

16

0

NR/NR

Bean sprouts were immersed at home in well water contaminated with Yersinia.

See Cover and Aber 1989

^a NR, not reported
^b Hemolytic uremic syndrome