Epidemiology of Foodborne Disease Outbreaks from 2011 to 2016 in Shandong Province, China

Abstract

Background: Foodborne disease is a major public health concern in both developed and developing countries. China has established a nationwide Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System (FDOSS) for collection and periodic reporting of data on the occurrence and causes of foodborne disease outbreaks in China. Each provincial Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducts the system working. Methods We reviewed foodborne disease outbreaks that occurred during 2011-2016 in Shandong Province from the FDOSS. The Wilcoxon test was used to compare the median number of ill persons in outbreaks. All data analysis was performed using Epi Info 7. Results: During 2011-2016, Shandong CDC received reports of 1043 foodborne disease outbreaks, resulting in 8078 illnesses, 2442 hospitalizations, and 17 deaths. Hotels were the most common setting. Among the 744 (71.3%) outbreaks with an implicated food or contaminated ingredient reported, 704 (94.6%) could be assigned to one of 17 predefined commodity categories. Of the 280 outbreaks with a known aetiology, 117(41.8%) were caused by poisonous plants and animals and their toxins, 39(13.9) were caused by nitrite, and 27(9.6%) were caused by vibrio parahaemolyticus. Conclusion: Timely investigation, disposal and reporting of foodborne disease outbreaks provides information that might help FDOSS to make full use of efficiency and FDOSS should be continued and strengthened even more in Shandong Province, such as an increase in diagnostic laboratory capacities.

Challenges of Outbreak Investigation in Resort Settings: A Case of Foodborne Illness Among Hotel Conference Attendees in Urban Ghana

“…1,5 Isolating offending pathogens require wide range of tests which are often not available due to low laboratory capacity especially under resource-constraint settings. 5,6 Investigators may have to rely on clinical presentation and epidemiological characteristics in arriving at diagnoses. 5,7,8 In a foodborne outbreak investigation among hajj pilgrims camped in a hotel in Jeddah, Al-Abdullah (2019) found that chicken served at lunch was contaminated with Staphlylococcus aureus enterotoxin based on clinical presentation as laboratory findings were inconclusive.…”

“…8 In Ghana, these challenges are aggravated by the absence of an effective foodborne disease surveillance system. 6 The integration of surveillance systems at the operational level; though commendable, has a potential of missing small outbreaks especially if illness is selflimiting. Even when reported, capacity of the local health officials to perform the initial critical steps in the response path is often lacking.…”

A multiplex loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay for rapid detection of <i>Bacillus cereus</i> and <i>Staphylococcus aureus </i>

“…Vomiting was commonly reported in B. cereus (median, 75% of cases) and S. aureus outbreaks (median, 87%) (2). At the same time, China, Japan, South Korea and other countries had also reported the outbreak of foodborne epidemics (3,4). Rice or soy dishes were commonly implicated in B. cereus (50%) outbreaks, and meat or poultry dishes were commonly implicated in S. aureus (55%) outbreaks (5).…”