Estimates of Foodborne Illness–Related Hospitalizations and Deaths in Canada for 30 Specified Pathogens and Unspecified Agents

Abstract

Foodborne illness estimates help to set food safety priorities and create public health policies. The Public Health Agency of Canada estimates that 4 million episodes of foodborne illness occur each year in Canada due to 30 known pathogens and unspecified agents. The main objective of this study was to estimate the number of domestically acquired foodborne illness–related hospitalizations and deaths. Using the estimates of foodborne illness for Canada along with data from the Canadian Hospitalization Morbidity Database (for years 2000–2010) and relevant international literature, the number of hospitalizations and deaths for 30 pathogens and unspecified agents were calculated. Analysis accounted for under-reporting and underdiagnosis. Estimates of the proportion foodborne and the proportion travel-related were incorporated for each pathogen. Monte Carlo simulations were performed to account for uncertainty generating mean estimates and 90% probability intervals. It is estimated that each year there are 4000 hospitalizations (range 3200–4800) and 105 (range 75–139) deaths associated with domestically acquired foodborne illness related to 30 known pathogens and 7600 (range 5900–9650) hospitalizations and 133 (range 77–192) deaths associated with unspecified agents, for a total estimate of 11,600 (range 9250–14,150) hospitalizations and 238 (range 155–323) deaths associated with domestically acquired foodborne illness in Canada. Key pathogens associated with these hospitalizations or deaths include norovirus, nontyphoidal Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., VTEC O157 and Listeria monocytogenes. This is the first time Canada has established pathogen-specific estimates of domestically acquired foodborne illness–related hospitalizations and deaths. This information illustrates the substantial burden of foodborne illness in Canada.

Bacteriophages Contribute to the Spread of Antibiotic Resistance Genes among Foodborne Pathogens of the Enterobacteriaceae Family – A Review

“…In Canada, 4 million cases of foodborne illnesses, 11,600 hospitalizations and 238 deaths are estimated to occur annually (Thomas et al, 2015). In the United States, 47.8 million cases of foodborne illness are estimated to occur annually with 127,839 hospitalizations and 3,037 deaths (Scallan et al, 2011).…”

The Validation and Implications of Using Whole Genome Sequencing as a Replacement for Traditional Serotyping for a National Salmonella Reference Laboratory

“…Within Canada, S. enterica is estimated to be responsible for over 87,000 cases of domestically acquired foodborne illnesses each year (Thomas et al, 2013), leading to 11,600 hospitalizations and 238 deaths (Thomas et al, 2015). In Canada, the surveillance of this priority pathogen is a multifaceted endeavor, encompassing multiple surveillance programs that monitor Salmonella along the farm to fork to human clinical disease spectrum (Parmley et al, 2013).…”

Barriers and Facilitators to Safe Food Handling among Consumers: A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis of Qualitative Research Studies

“…In the United States (US), foodborne disease agents are estimated to cause 48 million cases of illness each year, resulting in approximately 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths [2,3]. In Canada, approximately 4 million cases of domestically-acquired foodborne illness occur each year, resulting in an estimated 11,600 hospitalizations and 238 deaths [4,5]. These illnesses have significant economic impacts on society through direct healthcare costs and indirect costs such as lost productivity [6], and they occasionally also result in costly food recalls and trade disruptions.…”