scholarly journals Epidemiology of restaurant-associated foodborne disease outbreaks, United States, 1998–2013

2016 ◽  
Vol 145 (3) ◽  
pp. 523-534 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. M. ANGELO ◽  
A. L. NISLER ◽  
A. J. HALL ◽  
L. G. BROWN ◽  
L. H. GOULD
Keyword(s):  
Surveillance System ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Disease Outbreak ◽  
Foodborne Illness ◽  
Annual Number ◽  
Common Source ◽  
Foodborne Disease ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Food Workers

SUMMARYAlthough contamination of food can occur at any point from farm to table, restaurant food workers are a common source of foodborne illness. We describe the characteristics of restaurant-associated foodborne disease outbreaks and explore the role of food workers by analysing outbreaks associated with restaurants from 1998 to 2013 reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System. We identified 9788 restaurant-associated outbreaks. The median annual number of outbreaks was 620 (interquartile range 618–629). In 3072 outbreaks with a single confirmed aetiology reported, norovirus caused the largest number of outbreaks (1425, 46%). Of outbreaks with a single food reported and a confirmed aetiology, fish (254 outbreaks, 34%) was most commonly implicated, and these outbreaks were commonly caused by scombroid toxin (219 outbreaks, 86% of fish outbreaks). Most outbreaks (79%) occurred at sit-down establishments. The most commonly reported contributing factors were those related to food handling and preparation practices in the restaurant (2955 outbreaks, 61%). Food workers contributed to 2415 (25%) outbreaks. Knowledge of the foods, aetiologies, and contributing factors that result in foodborne disease restaurant outbreaks can help guide efforts to prevent foodborne illness.

scholarly journals Contributing Factors in Restaurant-Associated Foodborne Disease Outbreaks, FoodNet Sites, 2006 and 2007†

2013 ◽  
Vol 76 (11) ◽  
pp. 1824-1828 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. HANNAH GOULD ◽  
IDA ROSENBLUM ◽  
DAVID NICHOLAS ◽  
QUYEN PHAN ◽  
TIMOTHY F. JONES
Keyword(s):  
Local Level ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
The United States ◽  
Foodborne Disease ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Surveillance Network ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Food Workers

An estimated 48 million cases of foodborne illness occur each year in the United States, resulting in approximately 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths. Over half of all foodborne disease outbreaks reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are associated with eating in restaurants or delicatessens. We reviewed data from restaurant-associated foodborne disease outbreaks to better understand the factors that contribute to these outbreaks. Data on restaurant-associated foodborne disease outbreaks reported by sites participating in the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) were analyzed to characterize contributing factors reported in foodborne disease outbreaks and the levels of evidence used to identify these factors. Of 457 foodborne disease outbreaks reported in 2006 and 2007 by FoodNet sites, 300 (66%) were restaurant associated, and of these 295 (98%) had at least one reported contributing factor. One to nine (with a median of two) contributing factors were reported per outbreak. Of the 257 outbreaks with a single etiology reported, contributing factors associated with food worker health and hygiene were reported for 165 outbreaks (64%), factors associated with food preparation practices within the establishment were reported for 88 outbreaks (34%), and factors associated with contamination introduced before reaching the restaurant were reported for 56 outbreaks (22%). The pronounced role of food workers in propagating outbreaks makes it clear that more work is needed to address prevention at the local level. Food workers should be instructed not to prepare food while ill to prevent the risk of transmitting pathogens.

scholarly journals Produce-associated foodborne disease outbreaks, USA, 1998–2013

2018 ◽  
Vol 146 (11) ◽  
pp. 1397-1406 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. D. Bennett ◽  
S. V. Sodha ◽  
T. L. Ayers ◽  
M. F. Lynch ◽  
L. H. Gould ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Shiga Toxin ◽  
Surveillance System ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Disease Outbreak ◽  
Foodborne Disease ◽  
Safety Measures ◽  
Row Crops ◽  
The Us ◽  
Foodborne Outbreaks

AbstractThe US Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) gives food safety regulators increased authority to require implementation of safety measures to reduce the contamination of produce. To evaluate the future impact of FSMA on food safety, a better understanding is needed regarding outbreaks attributed to the consumption of raw produce. Data reported to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System during 1998–2013 were analysed. During 1998–2013, there were 972 raw produce outbreaks reported resulting in 34 674 outbreak-associated illnesses, 2315 hospitalisations, and 72 deaths. Overall, the total number of foodborne outbreaks reported decreased by 38% during the study period and the number of raw produce outbreaks decreased 19% during the same period; however, the percentage of outbreaks attributed to raw produce among outbreaks with a food reported increased from 8% during 1998–2001 to 16% during 2010–2013. Raw produce outbreaks were most commonly attributed to vegetable row crops (38% of outbreaks), fruits (35%) and seeded vegetables (11%). The most common aetiologic agents identified were norovirus (54% of outbreaks), Salmonella enterica (21%) and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (10%). Food-handling errors were reported in 39% of outbreaks. The proportion of all foodborne outbreaks attributable to raw produce has been increasing. Evaluation of safety measures to address the contamination on farms, during processing and food preparation, should take into account the trends occurring before FSMA implementation.

Foodborne Disease Outbreaks, 5-Year Summary, 1983–1987

1990 ◽  
Vol 53 (8) ◽  
pp. 711-728 ◽  
Author(s):  
NANCY H. BEAN ◽  
PATRICIA M. GRIFFIN ◽  
JOY S. GOULDING ◽  
CECILE B. IVEY
Keyword(s):  
Surveillance System ◽  
Bacterial Pathogens ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Etiologic Agent ◽  
Foodborne Illness ◽  
Foodborne Disease ◽  
Chemical Agents ◽  
Laboratory Confirmation ◽  
True Number

This report summarizes data from foodborne disease outbreaks reported to CDC from 1983 through 1987. With a few exceptions, an outbreak is defined as an incident in which two or more persons experience a similar illness and food is implicated. During this period, 2,397 outbreaks of foodborne disease were reported, representing 91,678 cases. Among outbreaks in which the etiology was determined, bacterial pathogens caused the largest number of outbreaks (66%) and cases (92%). Chemical agents caused 26% of outbreaks and 2% of cases. Parasites caused 4% of outbreaks and <1% of cases, and viruses caused 5% of outbreaks and 5% of cases. The discrepancies between the number of outbreaks and the number of cases attributed to each etiologic agent emphasizes the importance of evaluating both numbers before drawing conclusions. The etiologic agent was not determined in 62% of outbreaks, reflecting the need for improved investigative skills. The number of outbreaks reported by this surveillance system is only a small fraction of the true number that occur. The likelihood of an outbreak's being reported depends on many factors, such as ease of recognition and ease of laboratory confirmation. Sporadic foodborne illness is far more common and is not included in this report

Complaints of Foodborne Illness in San Francisco, California, 1998

2001 ◽  
Vol 64 (8) ◽  
pp. 1261-1264 ◽  
Author(s):  
MICHAEL C. SAMUEL ◽  
DIANE PORTNOY ◽  
ROB V. TAUXE ◽  
FRED J. ANGULO ◽  
DUC J. VUGIA
Keyword(s):  
San Francisco ◽  
Communicable Disease ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Control Unit ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Disease Outbreak ◽  
Foodborne Illness ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Foodborne Disease ◽  
Health Authorities

Foodborne diseases are an important public problem affecting millions of Americans each year and resulting in substantial morbidity and mortality. Many foodborne infections occur in outbreak settings. Outbreaks are often detected by complaints from the public to health authorities. This report reviews complaints received by the San Francisco Department of Public Health involving suspected foodborne illness in 1998. Although such foodborne complaints are commonly received by health officials, we provide the first review of population-based data describing such complaints. We use a broad definition of a foodborne disease outbreak. We judged a complaint to be a “likely foodborne disease outbreak” if it involved more than one person and more than one family; no other common meals were shared recently by ill persons; diarrhea, vomiting, or both was reported; and the incubation period was more than one hour. In 1998, 326 complaints of foodborne illness, involving a total of 599 ill people, were received by the Communicable Disease Control Unit in San Francisco. The complaints involved from 1 to 36 ill persons, with 61% involving one ill person and 25% involving two ill persons. Of the 126 reports involving illness in more than one person, 77 (61%) were judged to be likely foodborne disease outbreaks. Three of these 77 outbreaks had been investigated prior to our review. This project confirms that more foodborne disease outbreaks occur than are reported to state and national outbreak surveillance systems. Our review of the San Francisco system highlights opportunities for gleaning valuable information from the foodborne disease complaint systems in place in most jurisdictions.

scholarly journals Incubation periods of enteric illnesses in foodborne outbreaks, United States, 1998–2013

2019 ◽  
Vol 147 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. J. Chai ◽  
W. Gu ◽  
K. A. O'Connor ◽  
L. C. Richardson ◽  
R. V. Tauxe
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Incubation Period ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Disease Outbreak ◽  
Outbreak Investigation ◽  
Foodborne Disease ◽  
Case Definitions ◽  
Viral Pathogens ◽  
Incubation Periods ◽  
Foodborne Outbreaks

Abstract Early in a foodborne disease outbreak investigation, illness incubation periods can help focus case interviews, case definitions, clinical and environmental evaluations and predict an aetiology. Data describing incubation periods are limited. We examined foodborne disease outbreaks from laboratory-confirmed, single aetiology, enteric bacterial and viral pathogens reported to United States foodborne disease outbreak surveillance from 1998–2013. We grouped pathogens by clinical presentation and analysed the reported median incubation period among all illnesses from the implicated pathogen for each outbreak as the outbreak incubation period. Outbreaks from preformed bacterial toxins (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus and Clostridium perfringens) had the shortest outbreak incubation periods (4–10 h medians), distinct from that of Vibrio parahaemolyticus (17 h median). Norovirus, salmonella and shigella had longer but similar outbreak incubation periods (32–45 h medians); campylobacter and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli had the longest among bacteria (62–87 h medians); hepatitis A had the longest overall (672 h median). Our results can help guide diagnostic and investigative strategies early in an outbreak investigation to suggest or rule out specific etiologies or, when the pathogen is known, the likely timeframe for exposure. They also point to possible differences in pathogenesis among pathogens causing broadly similar syndromes.

The Minnesota Program for Prevention of Foodborne Illness: An Evaluation

1978 ◽  
Vol 41 (7) ◽  
pp. 556-558 ◽  
Author(s):  
THOMAS L. HEENAN ◽  
OSCAR P. SNYDER
Keyword(s):  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Education Program ◽  
Disease Outbreak ◽  
Foodborne Illness ◽  
Quality Assurance Program ◽  
Foodborne Disease ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Illness Prevention ◽  
Program Requirement

The Minnesota Quality Assurance Program for the Prevention of Foodborne Illness is a voluntarily attended, statewide education program to train foodservice owners. operators and managers in the methods of foodborne illness prevention. The education is conducted in 1-day seminars by trained sanitarians and foodservice personnel. It prepares the student to write a Quality Assurance (QA) program for his/her establishment to assure that there is no possibility of a foodborne disease outbreak. Certification is based on the approval of the Quality Assurance program. An evaluation after 9 months of operation indicates that most instructors performed adequately. Course content, including microbiological training, was well received. The QA written program requirement was supported by both instructors and students. Students strongly supported a recommendation that the QA document he mandatory for all foodservices and used as the basis for regulatory inspections.

USE OF TIME-TEMPERATURE EVALUATIONS IN DETECTING THE RESPONSIBLE VEHICLE AND CONTRIBUTING FACTORS OF FOODBORNE DISEASE OUTBREAKS1

1971 ◽  
Vol 34 (12) ◽  
pp. 576-582 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank L. Bryan ◽  
Thomas W. McKinley ◽  
Byron Mixon
Keyword(s):  
Clostridium Perfringens ◽  
Bacterial Growth ◽  
Room Temperature ◽  
Foodborne Illness ◽  
Boiling Water ◽  
Foodborne Disease ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Vegetative Cells ◽  
Use Of Time ◽  
Cooked Meat

An investigation of an outbreak of Clostridium perfringens foodborne illness indicated that turkey or dressing prepared in a school kitchen was responsible. When turkey was again prepared in the kitchen, a bacteriological survey and a time-temperature evaluation were made of the thawing, cooking, chilling, and reheating to which the turkey, stock, or dressing were subjected. During thawing of 22-lb. turkeys in plastic wrappers and in paper bags at room temperature for 18 hr, neither internal nor surface temperatures reached a level at which C. perfringens could grow. Cooking the turkeys in a steamer or in a pot of boiling water raised internal temperatures to a level lethal to vegetative cells. The stock (in gallon jars and a large rectangular pan) and deboned meat (in similar pan) were stored overnight in a reach-in refrigerator. During storage the temperature of both were within a range so that C. perfringens spores could germinate and its vegetative cells multiply for 7–9 hr. The stock was later used in dressing, which when baked, reached internal temperatures known to destroy vegetative cells of C. perfringens. Meat and gravy, when reheated, did not reach such levels. Clostridium perfringens, Staphylocoocus aureus, and Salmonella were isolated from raw turkey; C. perfringens was isolated from cooked meat, stock, and kitchen equipment. Nine recommendations for heat destruction of vegetative cells, inhibition of bacterial growth during storage, and cleaning and sanitizing equipment are made. These recommendations will help prevent foodborne illness whenever turkey and dressing are prepared.

scholarly journals Systematic Environmental Evaluations To Identify Food Safety Differences between Outbreak and Nonoutbreak Restaurants

2006 ◽  
Vol 69 (11) ◽  
pp. 2697-2702 ◽  
Author(s):  
CRAIG W. HEDBERG ◽  
S. JAY SMITH ◽  
ELIZABETH KIRKLAND ◽  
VINCENT RADKE ◽  
TIM F. JONES ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Foodborne Disease ◽  
Infected Person ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Safety Certification ◽  
Bare Hand ◽  
Lack Of Commitment ◽  
Hand Contact

Restaurants are important settings for foodborne disease transmission. The Environmental Health Specialists Network (EHS-Net) was established to identify underlying factors contributing to disease outbreaks and to translate those findings into improved prevention efforts. From June 2002 through June 2003, EHS-Net conducted systematic environmental evaluations in 22 restaurants in which outbreaks had occurred and 347 restaurants in which outbreaks had not occurred. Norovirus was the most common foodborne disease agent identified, accounting for 42% of all confirmed foodborne outbreaks during the study period. Handling of food by an infected person or carrier (65%) and bare-hand contact with food (35%) were the most commonly identified contributing factors. Outbreak and nonoutbreak restaurants were similar with respect to many characteristics. The major difference was in the presence of a certified kitchen manager (CKM); 32% of outbreak restaurants had a CKM, but 71% of nonoutbreak restaurants had a CKM (odds ratio of 0.2; 95% confidence interval of 0.1 to 0.5). CKMs were associated with the absence of bare-hand contact with foods as a contributing factor, fewer norovirus outbreaks, and the absence of outbreaks associated with Clostridium perfringens. However, neither the presence of a CKM nor the presence of policies regarding employee health significantly affected the identification of an infected person or carrier as a contributing factor. These findings suggest a lack of effective monitoring of employee illness or a lack of commitment to enforcing policies regarding ill food workers. Food safety certification of kitchen managers appears to be an important outbreak prevention measure, and managing food worker illnesses should be emphasized during food safety training programs.

scholarly journals A systematic review on mobile health applications for foodborne disease outbreak management

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Genevie Ntshoe ◽  
Andronica Moipone Shonhiwa ◽  
Nevashan Govender ◽  
Nicola Page
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Mobile Applications ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Disease Outbreak ◽  
Foodborne Disease ◽  
Outbreak Response ◽  
Public Health Action ◽  
Outbreak Management

Abstract Background Foodborne disease outbreaks are common and notifiable in South Africa; however, they are rarely reported and poorly investigated. Surveillance data from the notification system is suboptimal and limited, and does not provide adequate information to guide public health action and inform policy. We performed a systematic review of published literature to identify mobile application-based outbreak response systems for managing foodborne disease outbreaks and to determine the elements that the system requires to generate foodborne disease data needed for public action. Methods Studies were identified through literature searches using online databases on PubMed/Medline, CINAHL, Academic Search Complete, Greenfile, Library, Information Science & Technology. Search was limited to studies published in English during the period January 1990 to November 2020. Search strategy included various terms in varying combinations with Boolean phrases “OR” and “AND”. Data were collected following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Statement. A standardised data collection tool was used to extract and summarise information from identified studies. We assessed qualities of mobile applications by looking at the operating system, system type, basic features and functionalities they offer for foodborne disease outbreak management. Results Five hundred and twenty-eight (528) publications were identified, of which 48 were duplicates. Of the remaining 480 studies, 2.9% (14/480) were assessed for eligibility. Only one of the 14 studies met the inclusion criteria and reported on one mobile health application named MyMAFI (My Mobile Apps for Field Investigation). There was lack of detailed information on the application characteristics. However, based on minimal information available, MyMAFI demonstrated the ability to generate line lists, reports and offered functionalities for outbreak verification and epidemiological investigation. Availability of other key components such as environmental and laboratory investigations were unknown. Conclusions There is limited use of mobile applications on management of foodborne disease outbreaks. Efforts should be made to set up systems and develop applications that can improve data collection and quality of foodborne disease outbreak investigations.

scholarly journals Outbreak Investigation of a Multipathogen Foodborne Disease in a Training Institute in Rabat, Morocco: Case-Control Study

10.2196/14227 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. e14227
Author(s):  
Houda Moumni Abdou ◽  
Ilham Dahbi ◽  
Mohammed Akrim ◽  
Fatima Zahra Meski ◽  
Yousef Khader ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Case Control Study ◽  
Multivariable Analysis ◽  
Disease Outbreak ◽  
Case Control ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Common Source ◽  
Foodborne Disease ◽  
Hygiene Measures ◽  
Training Institute ◽  
Control Study

Background On June 18, 2017, the public health service was alerted about 43 students in the training institute in Rabat who were admitted to the emergency room for acute gastroenteritis following the uptake of a meal a day before. Objective This study aimed to investigate the foodborne disease outbreak by confirming the outbreak, identifying the source of contamination, and recommending control measures. Methods We conducted a case-control study. Cases and controls were selected in a ratio of 1:1. We defined a case as any member of the training institute who attended the Ramadan buffet in the institute’s restaurant and who had presented, in the weekend of June 16 to 20, 2017, symptoms of diarrhea or vomiting with at least one of the following signs: abdominal pain, fever, headache, nausea, and dizziness. A control was defined as anyone who attended the Ramadan buffet in the institute’s restaurant but had not presented any symptoms from June 16 to 20, 2017. We conducted a bivariate and multivariable analysis. Stools of ill students were collected, and a food specimen was collected for bacterial testing. Results A total of 50 cases and 50 controls were selected. Among the cases, males were predominant (43/50, 86%); the median age was 21 years. A total of 47 cases sought medical care. There were no hospitalizations and no deaths. The episode was short with an estimated average incubation period of 9 hours. The epidemic curve oriented toward a common source of contamination. Among food items, briwates were strongly associated with the illness with an odd ratio of 14.23 (95% CI 5.04-40.04; P<.001). Laboratory testing of briwates showed presence of Escherichia coli O157 and Staphylococcus aureus. Conclusions This foodborne disease outbreak was likely caused by briwates that was contaminated with S aureus and E coli. We recommended strengthening hygiene measures. Food handling techniques should be taught as part of continuous professional development for food handlers.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document