On August 5, 2024, the Brown County (Illinois) Health Department (BCHD) was informed by the county sheriff that numerous potential jurors being screened for an upcoming trial had reported recently experiencing a gastrointestinal illness. One week later, on August 12, a laboratory-confirmed case of Salmonella enterica serotype Agbeni infection was reported to BCHD by the Illinois Department of Public Health. Investigation by BCHD identified seven laboratory-confirmed and six probable cases of S. enterica serotype Agbeni illness across five Illinois counties. All persons who became ill had attended the Brown County fair in rural Illinois during July 30-August 4 and reported drinking beer served from a cooler in the fair's beer tent. No other common food or environmental exposures were identified. The cooler containing the beer was reused for multiple days and not cleaned. A generative artificial intelligence tool (ChatGPT 4.0, OpenAI; 2024) was used to assist with hypothesis generation during the investigation, supplementing traditional epidemiologic methods and contributing to identification of a shared, nonfood vehicle of transmission. This outbreak highlights the role of standardized hygiene protocols for cooler sanitation and beverage storage and handling at public events.
Katherine Houser (2026) studied this question.