(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – A team of scientists from the Department of Forensic Sciences’ Public Health Laboratory have seen their article about a 2011 Salmonella outbreak in the District accepted for publication by a peer-reviewed journal.

In the late summer and fall of 2011, nearly two dozen people became sick with Salmonella. Research later found that hummus prepared at a Mediterranean-style restaurant in the District was a “plausible source” of the infection.

The article, “Comparison of Salmonella enterica serovar Bovismorbificans 2011 Hummus outbreak strains with non-outbreak strains,” shows how isolates from the outbreak strain were compared to non-outbreak isolates and were found to be unique.

The co-authors from the Public Health Lab are Director Alpha Diallo, Morris Blaylock, Reginald Blackwell, and Sosina Merid. They worked with teams from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as well as the DFS’s Center for Veterinary Medicine.

“The journal article demonstrates our commitment to moving beyond what is routine,” said Dr. Blaylock , a Supervisory Microbiologist at the PHL. “More importantly, it highlights our dedication toward creating highly effective and successful collaborations.”

The article, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0740002014000410, will appear in an upcoming issue of Food Microbiology.