TABLE 1. Contaminant attribution Africa (n = 128) Contaminant Cholera Gastroenteritis Contamination Schistosomiasis Hepatitis E Salmonella Toxins Rabies Typhoid Botulism Melamine Europe (n = 97) Contaminant Salmonella E. coli Gastroenteritis Norovirus Cryptosporidium Trichinellosis Botulism Contamination vCJD Hepatitis A Rotavirus Unspecified Bleach Dioxins Listeria Safety violation Adenovirus Hepatitis E Azaspiracid Shellfish Poisoning Cholera Dysentery Paraxysmal myoglobinuria Staphylococcus Brucellosis Ciguatera Clostridium botulinum Number 20 16 12 9 6 5 4 4 4 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Percentage 21% 16% 12% 9% 6% 5% 4% 4% 4% 3% 2% 2% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% Number 105 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 Percentage 82% 9% 2% 2% 2% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% Western Pacific (n = 118) Contaminant Gastroenteritis Cholera Contamination Salmonella Hepatitis A Melamine Norovirus E. coli Dysentery Listeria Toxins Pesticides Staphylococcus Vibrio Campylobacter Shigella Unspecified Cryptosporidium Bacillus Lectin Marine biotoxin Methanol Arsenic Clostridium Clenbuterol Typhoid Number 30 21 16 9 6 5 5 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Percentage 25% 18% 14% 8% 5% 4% 4% 3% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% Data analysis Typically, a foodborne outbreak refers to a situation in which two or more people who have consumed the same contaminated food develop the same illness (3). The definition of “outbreak” differs in this project, because the information included in the reports may not always specify the actual number of illnesses. In some report of government recalls or warnings of contaminated food or water, initiated after people became ill, the article reported on the government action, not on the number of illnesses. These reports were characterized as having a morbidity range of 0 to 1 case. The majority of reported foodborne and waterborne illness outbreaks do not have complete outbreak information. Of all outbreaks included in the database, 38% had no known food or water attribution; for these, the outbreaks were categorized as “unspecified.” Some outbreaks did not specify a pathogen but identified the illness as 486 FOOD PROTECTION TRENDS | AUGUST 2010