Surveillance for foodborne disease outbreaks in China, 2003 to 2008

Abstract

a b s t r a c tKnowledge of implicated food vehicles and contributing factors derived from foodborne disease outbreak (FBDO) investigations allows consumers to be educated on decreasing high-risk behavior to reduce the risk of being affected by foodborne diseases. Food safety regulatory authorities also need summary of outbreak data, as these data indicate where the existing food supply system should be improved. To obtain information on epidemiology of FBDOs in China, FBDOs reported to the China National Foodborne Diseases Surveillance Network by 12 surveillance provinces that include 43% of the Chinese population was summarized. Between 2003 and 2008, 2795 FBDOs were reported, resulting in 62559 illnesses, 31261 hospitalizations, and 330 deaths. Outbreak size ranged from 2 to 464 cases, with a median of 14 cases. The outbreak rate had decreased from 1.37 per 1 million population in 2003 to 0.46 per 1 million population in 2008. Of the 2176 outbreaks with a single known etiology, bacteria (1051 outbreaks, 48%), man-made chemical hazards (550 outbreaks, 25%), and animal and plant toxins (536 outbreaks, 25%) were the main courses. Only one outbreak was caused by virus. Of the 1930 outbreaks with a single commodity, plant-based foods were the most common reported (930 outbreaks, 48%), followed by animal-based foods (590 outbreaks, 31%). Outbreaks most frequently occurred in private residences (32%), workplace cafeterias (21%), and restaurants (17%). The most common factor reported in the 2190 outbreaks with known contributing factors were improper cooking (510 outbreaks, 23%), contaminated ingredient (503 outbreaks, 23%), cross contamination (475 outbreaks, 22%) and improper storage (295 outbreaks, 13%). It is considered that FBDOs continue to be an important public health problem in China.

Genotypic and phenotypic profiles of virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance of Proteus mirabilis isolated from chicken carcasses: potential zoonotic risk

“…Additionally, P. mirabilis has been associated with foodborne disease, despite their primary pathogenic role has not been confirmed [16][17][18], and may be a public health threat to society due to its strong association with a variety of human infectious diseases [19]. Therefore, more research is indicated to discuss and elucidate the zoonotic potential of P. mirabilis.…”

Application of Biosensors for Detection of Pathogenic Food Bacteria: A Review

“…Because human food and water sources can be easily contaminated by a broad spectrum of microbial pathogens, serious illness results if these microbial pathogens or their toxins are consumed [26]. Bacteria, viruses, and parasites are the most prevalent pathogens that cause foodborne diseases [27,28], but fungal foodborne diseases are also identified [29]. Bacteria are the most well-known foodborne pathogen, and cause the greatest number of foodborne illnesses, including the most hospitalizations (63.9%) and deaths (63.7%) [25].…”

A Review of Current Research and Knowledge Gaps in the Epidemiology of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. in Trinidad and Tobago

“…During this period, leafy vegetables alone were estimated to be responsible for almost 2.2 million disease cases, or 22% of all foodborne disease cases, the most of any food commodity [ 60 ]. Similarly in China, plant commodities were associated with 48% (930) of foodborne disease outbreaks which occurred from 2003–2008 [ 61 ]. There are currently no published reports identifying the food vehicles for the transmission of foodborne disease in T&T. However, a survey of dietary consumption patterns in T&T revealed that 38% of participants regularly ate mixed raw vegetable salad, and a further 22% reported eating raw lettuce or tomatoes, thus the risk of consumption of contaminated produce is very apparent [ 62 ].…”