BACKGROUND: In September 2016, Minnesota Department of Health staff interviewed a patient with laboratory-confirmed Campylobacter; he reported contract construction work on a poultry processing facility addition and that other contractors, from 4 companies, reported gastrointestinal illness since January. Contractors began construction work in September 2015 with no poultry exposure; during January 2016, poultry processing started in the addition. Facility management reported no illnesses among full-time poultry processing employees, who are provided education and personal protective equipment. We sought to describe illness, associations with workforce exposure, and prevent additional cases among contractors.
METHODS: Cases were defined as either diarrhea and fever or diarrhea ≥3 days’ duration, among facility contractors, with illness onset during January–September. Case-finding was by routine reportable disease laboratory surveillance and interviews with contractors from all 4 companies.
RESULTS: Seventy-four (82%) of 90 contractors were interviewed over 14 days. Fourteen cases were identified; 4 (29%) were laboratory-confirmed (2 Campylobacter and 2 Salmonella). Ill contractors were more likely to work for the electrical than 3 other companies (odds ratio [OR] 10.4, P <0.001), take breaks in unofficial areas (OR 6.4, P = 0.01), bring drinks into work areas (OR 4.2, P = 0.02), and have contact with poultry fluids (OR 6.4, P = 0.03). All contractors reported training concerning physical occupational hazards, but only 23 (31%) reported infectious disease prevention training.
CONCLUSIONS: This was an outbreak of Campylobacter and Salmonella infections among contractors working at a poultry processing facility. The majority of contractors had not received infectious disease prevention training. Annually, ~17 million contractors work within the United States; host employers and contract agencies should ensure appropriate hazards training is provided for contractors.