Risks of Salmonellosis Linked to the Consumption of Lettuce Grown on the Outskirts and in Unexploited Intra-Urban Areas of the City of Bouaké, Central-Côte d’Ivoire

Lettuce is one of the most popular and consumed vegetables in the world. It could be contaminated with Salmonella spp. which would lead to food poisoning. The objective of this study was to quantitatively assess the risk of salmonellosis linked to the consumption of lettuce produced in Bouaké (Central-Côte d’Ivoire). A survey of 138 urban lettuce producers and 384 salad lettuce consumers was first conducted. Then, microbiological analyzes were carried out on forty-five lettuce samples collected in the city of Bouaké. A probabilistic approach was followed to quantitatively assess the risks associated with the consumption of lettuce. Finally, the risk of ingestion of the infectious dose which is 105 cells of Salmonella spp. was estimated by a Monte Carlo type simulation. Microbiological analyzes showed that Salmonella spp. loads ranged from 0 ± 0 CFU/g to 7.73.102 ± 2.33.101 CFU/g. Furthermore, the prevalence of Salmonella spp. in lettuce was 77.78%. The risk of salmonellosis exists and is 6.36% to 6.56%; i.e. 6,360 to 6,560 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. This study showed that lettuces were contaminated with Salmonella spp. There is a risk of developing typhoid or paratyphoid salmonellosis following their consumption.