A systematic review on shifting trends of foodborne diseases in Pakistan

Abstract

Foodborne diseases are increasing at an alarming rate, thereby eliciting constant threat to public health worldwide. Approximately, 200 foodborne cases are caused due to ingestion of contaminated food each year. In developing countries, unhygienic practices are main reasons for foodborne diseases. Precise estimate of population-based data on food borne illnessesare scarce in Pakistan. This review focuses to elucidate etiological cause of foodborne diseases dominant in Pakistan from 1990 to 2018. Various databases were searched, and 88 articles related to foodborne diseases were identified. Around 59 articles were included on quality assessment criteria. We determined dominant pathogens associated with foodborne diseases among all provinces of Pakistan. High numbers of foodborne diseases were reported in Sindh. Whereas, Salmonella was determined asprimary cause of foodborne ailments. Most of the reported data on antibiotic resistance was unavailable. Shagella spp were first reported for antibiotic resistance in 1990, and E. coli was reported for multi-drug resistance in 1998. Nevertheless, S. aureus was reported for Methicillinresistant in 2015-16. This study summarize various sources responsible forfood-borne illness, of which unhygienic conditions, poor sanitation systems, lack of proper infrastructure and continuous influx of refugees plays key role in escalation of morbidity rate in the region. We emphasize need of active surveillance system in reducing foodborne outbreaks in future and enable policy makers to set appropriate goals in food safety area. Keywords AFood control, drug resistance, food safety, Pakistan

Food toxicity in Pakistan: a mini-review on foodborne diseases

“…A 2018 cross-sectional study of 800 participants in Sindh, a province in Pakistan, reported a 19% prevalence of Salmonella, 28.99% Listeria monocytogenes, and 8% in Campylobacter jejuni and E. coli [6] . These bacteria produce symptoms, such as fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea [6] . Salmonellosis is a disease caused by the bacteria Salmonella which has been associated with foods of animal origin, such as eggs and poultry.…”

“…A 600 sample of meat collected from Lahore showed the prevalence of Campylobacter in chicken (29%), mutton (18%), and beef (15.5%) [15] . E coli is linked to unpasteurized milk, undercooked meat, and contaminated fresh fruits and vegetables [6] . Listeria infections are among the most serious, affecting infants, children, elderly, and it has been associated with miscarriages in pregnant women [6] .…”

“…Despite the increasing incidence of food toxicity, Pakistan still faces much uncertainty regarding the actual number of food toxicity cases, mainly due to underreporting of cases and poor surveillance capacity [6] . Uncertainty, regarding the issue's extent and severity, makes it difficult to combat it [6] .…”

“…Despite the increasing incidence of food toxicity, Pakistan still faces much uncertainty regarding the actual number of food toxicity cases, mainly due to underreporting of cases and poor surveillance capacity [6] . Uncertainty, regarding the issue's extent and severity, makes it difficult to combat it [6] . To make matters worse, misuse of antibiotics in hopes of alleviating symptoms of food poisoning has further intensified the health issues while giving rise to new drug-resistant strains [6] .…”

“…Uncertainty, regarding the issue's extent and severity, makes it difficult to combat it [6] . To make matters worse, misuse of antibiotics in hopes of alleviating symptoms of food poisoning has further intensified the health issues while giving rise to new drug-resistant strains [6] . Therefore, this article discusses the prevalence of foodborne diseases in Pakistan and their impact on public health.…”