ABSTRACT

On average, Americans consumed 248 eggs per person in the year 2012 (American Egg Board, 2013). Eggs are used as an inexpensive protein source in the form of shell eggs, liquid, frozen, and dried products (Ricke et al., 2001). The U.S. egg industry is the second largest producer of chicken eggs in the world after China (Anonymous, 2011). According to the American Egg Board (2013), there are 172 egg-producing companies in the United States with ocks of 75,000 hens or more, 59 egg-producing companies with one million plus layers, and 16 companies with greater than

TABLE 9.1 Number of Foodborne Outbreaks per Year in the United States, Number caused by Salmonella enterica, and Number Caused by Serotype Enteritidis

ve million layers; these largest ve companies represent more than 95% of egg production in the United States. This chapter presents a case study of a foodborne outbreak in the United States associated with the consumption of shell eggs and egg-containing products attributed to S. enterica, serotype Enteritidis. We discuss the epidemiological investigation, traceback efforts, management of the outbreak, lessons learned, and prevention strategies developed during this investigation.