Communicable Diseases Report, NSW, July and August 2011.

Enteric infections Outbreaks of foodborne disease Sixteen outbreaks of gastrointestinal disease thought to be due to consumption of contaminated food were reported in July and August 2011. One outbreak was identified through surveillance of laboratory notifications, 14 outbreaks were identified through complaints to the NSW Food Authority and one outbreak through the local public health unit. Nine of these outbreaks were further investigated and enough evidence was gathered on three to suggest that they were outbreaks related to food. In two of these outbreaks, the causative organism was identified as Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium; in the third, no causative organism could be identified.