Investigation of an outbreak of Salmonella oranienburg infections in Norway, caused by contaminated black pepper.

From November 1981 to August 31, 1982, 126 bacteriologically confirmed cases of Salmonella oranienburg infections were reported in Norway. This paper summarizes the development of the outbreak and describes the epidemiologic and microbiologic investigations leading to the discovery of contaminated black pepper as the source of the outbreak. In an investigation limited to 26 patients in the Trøndelag region, the Trondheim Public Food Control Laboratory isolated S. oranienburg from six samples of black, ground pepper from the patients' households and from 15 samples of black, ground pepper from unopened, original packings having the trademark of the Norwegian Cooperative Association (Co-op).