Food Protection Trends - September 2011 - (Page 560)

ARTICLES Copyright© 2011, International Association for Food Protection 6200 Aurora Ave., Suite 200W, Des Moines, IA 50322-2864 Food Protection Trends, Vol. 31, No. 9, Pages 560–568 Epidemiological Approaches to Food Safety OLASUNMBO AJAYI,1* LEONARD L. WILLIAMS,2 JACOB OLUWOYE,3 JACQUELINE U. JOHNSON,1 FLORENCE OKAFOR,4 OLA-GOODE SANDERS1 and THOMAS WILSON1 1 Dept. of Food and Animal Sciences, Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, Food Microbiology and Immunochemistry Laboratory, Normal, AL 35762, USA; 2Center For Excellence in Post-Harvest Technologies, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, The North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis, NC 28081, USA; 3Dept. of Community Planning and Urban Studies, Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, Normal, AL 35762, USA; 4Dept. of Physical and Natural Sciences, Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, Normal, AL 35762, USA INTRODUCTION ABSTRACT The literature reveals that milder cases of foodborne diseases are commonly underreported and often undetected through routine surveillance. Outbreaks due to Staphylococcus aureus are not under active surveillance, yet they are on the rise. The goal of this retrospective study was to examine the associated risk factors and quantify the impact of foodborne disease outbreaks from secondary data sources collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other surveillance bodies. The results of the analysis revealed that during 1997–2007, the leading bacteria to which foodborne disease outbreaks were attributed were Salmonella (1,235), Escherichia coli (287), Clostridium (269), Staphylococcus (170), Campylobacter (150) and Shigella (124). Listeria monocytogenes infection resulted in the highest number of deaths (125/100,000 individuals). Methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from animal reservoirs and food products was recently documented to have entered the human population. We conclude that there has been increased isolation of MRSA in food animals.As a result, further studies into the involvement of food in the re-emergence of this pathogen into public knowledge/perception of food safety and handling, and into risks related to food consumption are crucial in reducing the trend of food-related diseases. A peer-reviewed article * Author for correspondence: Phone: +1 256.372.5280; Fax: +1 256.372.5288 E-mail: sunmbo.ajayi@gmail.com The incidence of foodborne disease is difficult to estimate, but it has been reported that in 2005, 1.8 million people, mostly children in developing countries died from diarrheal diseases worldwide (58). The majority of diarrheal disease cases can be attributed to contaminated food and bottled drinking water. Although the food supply in the United States is one of the safest in the world, between 250 and 350 million individuals are affected by acute gastroenteritis annually, and about 30% of these cases are believed to be due to foodborne pathogens (38). A foodborne disease outbreak is the occurrence of at least two cases of similar illness resulting from the consumption of a common food. Furthermore, food contamination creates an enormous social and economic burden on health systems and communities. In the United States, foodborne diseases create an enormous economic burden on health and social systems, costing $152 billion each year (45). Infections caused by bacteria such as Campylobacter, Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes and Norwalk-like viruses are the most commonly recognized foodborne illnesses and gastroenteritis in humans. Although many foodborne pathogens cause simi- 560 FOOD PROTECTION TRENDS | SEPTEMBER 2011 http://www.foodprotection.org/files/food-protection-trends/Sep-11-Ajayi.pdf

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Food Protection Trends - September 2011

Food Protection Trends - September 2011
Contents
Sustaining Members
Food for Thought from Your President
Commentary from the Executive Director
Epidemiological Approaches to Food Safety
Localized Chemical Decontamination of Cattle Hides to Reduce Microbial Loads and Prevalence of Foodborne Pathogens
General Interest Paper – Implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act
Call for 2012 Secretary Nominations
New Members
What’s Happening in Food Safety
Industry Products
Coming Events
Advertising Index
Journal of Food Protection Table of Contents
Membership Application

Food Protection Trends - September 2011