Recent trends in foodborne diseases of bacterial origin
1983
Genigeorgis, K.
Although foodborne and waterborne diseases are considered a major group of human illnesses, international statistics do not reflect the true incidence of food poisonings due to extensive underreporting. Recent epidemiologic data indicate that outbreaks of bacterial origin remain the most frequent type, with Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens and Vibrio parahaemolyticus the most common agents. A significant percentage of the outbreaks remains of unknown etiology. These unknown agents may include viruses and foodborne disease agents which were overlooked before in foods. Foods of animal origin remain the major group of implicated foods while restaurants and homer are the most common places of food mishandlings. Inadequate cooling has been associated with most outbreaks. Major contributing factors include: more out of home and mass feeding; more centralized mass production and wider distribution of foods exposing larger segments of the population; increased consumption of slightly heated foods; rapid expansion of tourism on an individual or group basis resulting in overloading the capacity of food service establishments; increased consumer awareness; better reporting of foodborne diseases; introduction of new technology where no tradition of good manufacturing practices exists; and expansion of international trade. Extensive progress has been made in understanding the ecology and epidemiology of bacterial food poisoning agents during the past ten years. Disease agents such as Campylobacter, Yersinia enterocolytica and Bacillus cereus have been recognized and studied extensively.
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This bibliographic record has been provided by Directorate of Agricultural Policy and Documentation, Division of Documentation, Ministry of Agriculture