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OzFoodNet - foodborne illness in Australia 2005

OzFoodNet recently published its report on foodborne disease in Australia for 2005 in Communicable Diseases Intelligence (OzFoodNet, 2006). This was the network's fifth annual report since its establishment in 2000. During 2005, OzFoodNet recorded 25,779 cases of seven potential foodborne diseases that are routinely reported to State and Territory health departments. Compared to previous years, there were increases in reported cases of Shiga Toxin producing Escherichia coli infections, haemolytic uraemic syndrome, shigellosis, campylobacteriosis and salmonellosis, while there were fewer cases of listeriosis. State and Territory health departments, in collaboration with OzFoodNet epidemiologists, conducted several investigations into increases or clusters of these diseases to monitor changes in their epidemiology and to identify potential outbreaks.

Outbreaks of foodborne illness are important as they represent a reliable source of information on food safety failures. In Australia in 2005, 102 foodborne disease outbreaks were identified affecting 1,975 people with 166 requiring hospital treatment and resulting in four deaths. The annual incidence of foodborne disease outbreaks has been stable over the last five years. As in previous years, foods prepared in restaurants caused most of the identified outbreaks and the most common agent was Salmonella Typhimurium. There are many causes of foodborne disease outbreaks, but some common themes occur year after year. Dishes made with fish, poultry, mixed meat dishes and eggs were the most common food vehicles identified in outbreak investigations. There were several large (more than 50 people affected) outbreaks in 2005 due to contaminated foods, including those caused by bakery products, raw egg dishes, dips, alfalfa sprouts and sandwiches.

Foodborne disease affects 5.4 million Australians annually and costs an estimated $1.2 billion (Hall and Kirk, 2005). However, only a small proportion of illness is associated with identified outbreaks. The level of foodborne disease in Australia is similar to many other industrialised countries. Given the dramatic increases in outbreaks associated with raw products such as spinach, onions, and lettuce in the United States of America, it is vital that Australia continues its efforts to prevent contamination along the food chain from the farm to the customer.

This article was contributed by OzFoodNet. For more information contact: Martyn Kirk, Coordinating Epidemiologist, OzFoodNet Tel: +61 2 6289 9010, Email: martyn.kirk@health.gov.au.