Since 1945, the incidence of reported cases of typhoid fever has been steadily declining and is currently estimated at 0.5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Between September 2 and 6, 1997, four patients were hospitalized in the Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases at the Nice University Hospital for an infection with Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi (typhoid fever). The common factor among these four cases was their participation in events held between August 14 and 18, 1997, in Utelle, a village in the Nice hinterland. To identify the vehicle and source of the outbreak, an investigation into the food and beverages consumed between August 14 and 18 in Utelle was conducted among confirmed cases and a control group. Twenty-six people who had stayed in Utelle between August 14 and 16 were hospitalized with symptoms suggestive of typhoid fever. Sixteen patients met the criteria for confirmed cases. This outbreak could be epidemiologically linked to the consumption of deli meats between August 16 and 17, 1997, in Utelle. Water as a potential cause of this outbreak appears to be reasonably ruled out. (adapted from the text)