Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (10)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Glynn, J. R.
Right arrow Articles by Palmer, S. R.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Glynn, J. R.
Right arrow Articles by Palmer, S. R.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

American Journal of Epidemiology Vol. 136, No. 11: 1369-1377
Copyright © 1992 by The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health

research-article

Incubation Period, Severity of Disease, and Infecting Dose: Evidence from a Salmonella Outbreak

Judith R. Glynn1, and Stephen R. Palmer2

1London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, England
2Public Health Laboratory Service Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre (Welsh Unit) Abton House, Wedal Road, Roath, Cardiff CF4 3OX, Wales

Reprint requests to Dr. Judith R. Glynn, Tropical Health Epidemiology Unit, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, England.

The associations between infecting dose, incubation period, and the severity of disease were examined in a large outbreak of Salmonella typhimuhum which occurred at a medical conference in Wales in 1986. Persons who had eaten two or more pieces of the chicken vehicle had, on average, shorter geometric mean incubation periods than those who had only eaten one piece: 16.6 hours (95% confidence interval (Cl) 13.5–20.5) compared with 20.7 hours (95% Cl 19.0–22.6) (t = 1.97, p < 0.05). Incubation period was negatively correlated with the maximum frequency of diarrheal stools (r = -0.46, 95% Cl -0.56 to -0.33), the maximum temperature reached (r = -0.34, 95% Cl -0.50 to -0.16), the duration of symptoms (r = -0.41, 95% Cl -0.53 to -0.26), and the amount of time taken off from work (r = -0.54, 95% Cl -0.65 to -0.41). Those with shorter incubation periods were more likely to have been hospitalized. There was no association between chicken consumption and any of the measures of severity. The authors discuss the evidence that incubation period is inversely related to dose, the use of incubation period as a marker for dose, and the role that individual differences in susceptibility play in determining both the incubation period and the outcome. Am J Epidemiol 1992; 136: 1369–77.

disease outbreaks; food poisoning; infection; models; biological; Salmonella


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.