Foodborne Outbreak at a County Jail in North Dakota

On November 28, 2011, the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) received notice that inmates at a county jail in eastern North Dakota became ill the previous evening with symptoms of diarrhea and/or vomiting. 

The NDDoH collected stool specimens at the jail and designed a self-administered questionnaire for inmates and staff to complete. Of the 180 inmates at the facility during the outbreak, questionnaires were collected for 118 (66%) inmates and 46 staff. Cases were defined as experiencing vomiting and/or diarrhea on or after November 27.  Eighty-seven (74%) cases were identified among inmates and zero cases were identified among staff. Of the 87 cases, 80 (92%) were male and 7 (8%) were female. Frequently reported symptoms among cases included diarrhea (99%), stomach cramps (94%), nausea (67%), headache (53%), chills (47%) and vomiting (25%). The duration of illness ranged from 7.5 hours to 93 hours (median = 29 hours). 

Analysis of the meal items served at the county jail revealed the food item with the greatest significance was chili macaroni served at dinner on Sunday, November 27, 2011. This food item had an odds ratio of 75, confidence interval of 14.96 to 465.05 and a p-value of less than 0.05. The incubation period for this meal ranged from 30 minutes to 30 hours (median = 6 hours). 

Based on the incubation period and symptom information, the etiologic agent that may have caused this outbreak could likely be a toxin-producing bacteria. Stool samples tested at the Department of Laboratory Services were negative for norovirus, Salmonella, E. coli, Shigella and Campylobacter. The samples have been sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta for toxin testing, with results pending.

If you have questions or concerns, or need to report a possible foodborne incident, please contact the NDDoH at 701.328.2378.

Return to Pump Handle Main Page

Copyright © 2010 North Dakota Department of Health

Intranet