[The 1990 salmonella epidemic in the commercial city of Lübeck--an epidemiologic study as a contribution to determining the etiology of the salmonella outbreak].
In 1990 in Germany for the first time more than 100,000 cases of enteric infections (mostly salmonella enteritidis) were registered. The incidence is still increasing. As only one of ten cases is reported the yearly overall loss to general economy is estimated up to DM 600,000,000. Many hypotheses on causes were suggested but none could be verified (e.g. mass-breeding of animals, modernistic habits of eating and drinking, introduction of microwave-cooking, deterioration of hygiene in kitchens, insufficient cooling of food). This paper reports on the result of retrospective interviews with regard to food- and kitchen-hygiene of persons suffering from salmonellosis during an epidemy in Lübeck in autumn 1990. As no systematic violations of rules of hygiene could be detected we concluded that in future prevention and research should again be concentrated especially on the control of animal feed imports, poultry breeding, cooling and technical processing of eggs and garbage-sanitation. In Sweden consistent elimination of infected poultry stock showed effect. In the Federal Republic of Germany more drastic steps in regard of planed EC-Guidelines on the control of zoonoses are demanded.