Food Poisoning Outbreak at Qarn Al Alam, Dakhliyah Governorate, Oman, January 2025

Background: From January 26 to January 30, 2025, an outbreak of foodborne sickness occurred among workers at a specific company camp in Qarn Al Alam, Al-Dakhyilia governorate, Oman. This outbreak clearly affected 49 workers, who experienced symptoms like diarrhoea, fever, , vomiting, and abdominal pain after eating food from the camp. The Rapid Response Team (RRT) of Al Dakhliyah governorate was activated to investigate and oversee the outbreak. Objectives: to confirm the existence of the outbreak, to identify the mode, vehicle of transmission, initiates appropriate control measures and roles to prevent the future similar outbreaks.Method: A case-control study was conducted to investigate the outbreak. Cases were defined as any workers/staff of the specific company who ate from the camp in Qarn Al Alam and had diarrhea and/or any one of the signs/symptoms of fever, vomiting, and abdominal pain among from 26th January 2025 to 30th January 2025. Any workers of the specific company who ate from same camp without reporting symptoms were defines as control. Data collection included interviews, environmental assessments, and clinical histories. Food samples and clinical specimens were tested to validate the causes of the illnesses and identify the most common foodborne germs. Data was analyzed by SPSS program. Results: A total of 49 workers were infected by the outbreak. The interval between the occurrence of the first and the last case was 76 hrs. Most of the cases were in the age group 20-39 years. The majority of cases were among Indians, who were followed by Pakistanis and Bangladeshis. The most common symptom, which affected workers of all ages, was diarrhea, which was followed by fever and abdominal pain. The clinical picture was compatible with mild acute gastroenteritis. A breakdown of food safety and basic personal hygiene was detected among the food handlers. The stool cultures of cases and food handlers were positive for Salmonella species. The identical DNA fingerprinting pattern confirmed Salmonella enteritis strains originating from the cases and food handlers. Conclusion: We concluded that the source of outbreak was the food handlers. The importance of food safety and rigors environmental safety is emphasized. Basic personal hygiene and training of food handlers in restaurants are recommended with public health measurements.