The aetiology of man poisoning by camel liver in Kordofan States [Sudan]

Food poisoning poses public health problems of large proportion in the world and has become a contemporary issue. The current situation of food poisoning showed an increase in the morbidity and mortality rates throughout the worldincluding the industrialized developed countries. Some authors ascribed that to the huge global widespread distribution of foods. The predisposing factors for food-borne diseases are the same all over the world. Yet high ambient temperature, high humidity, poor sanitary facilities, lack of refrigeration and national habits are said to increase the incidence of food poisoning in the tropics. Many types of foods have been reported to act as vehicles for transmission of food borne pathogens. Food-poisoning associated with consumption of raw camel livers is known among the people of Kordofan States. Such livers are usually eaten raw for if cooked, they become elastic and inedible. Therefore camel liver is potentially hazardous. Yet in spite of that it is still vegarded by some as a very popular dish. Case reports are not available and so the incidence and fatality rates, food vehicles and the probable causative agents are not recognized. El Obeid hospital reports showed few cases of food poisoning without reference to food vehicles or aetiology. The same source reported a large number of cases of diarrhoea among adults. According to some authers this may reflectd high incidence rate of food poisoning in Kordofan States. An epidemiological investigation was carried. It revealed a high incidence rate of food borne diseases. Since the microbial causes of this problem were not known, the present study was aimed to reveal the bacteria associated with food poisoning in camel livers and to suggest health measures to be taken to safeguard against camel liver poisoning. The study involved attempts for isolation of aerobic bacteria from 89 samples of condemned camel livers and also from 90 passed livers. The isolates included different types of bacteria many of which are known to be implicated in meat borne infections and intoxications. There are some evidences that salmonella is the most likely incriminated organism as compared with others