Fair Ice Spreads Salmonella Through Contaminated Cooler

In August 2024, the Brown County (Illinois) Health Department investigated 13 Salmonella enterica serotype Agbeni illnesses linked to ice used in a beer cooler at the Brown County Fair, identifying seven laboratory-confirmed and six probable cases across five counties. Investigators found the improvised cooler was rarely cleaned and ice was handled during beverage service; AI-assisted tools (ChatGPT 4.0) helped synthesize background information while traditional methods established epidemiologic links.