Epidemiological Study of Laboratory-Based Surveillance for Bacteria-Related Food Poisoning in Taiwan, 2018–2020

DOI: 10.6524/EB.202406_40(12).0002

Ling-Min Liao, Shu-Chun Chiu, Szu-Chieh Hu, Jih-Hui Lin^*

2024 Vol.40 NO.12

Correspondence Author： Jih-Hui Lin^*

Abstract：

        Diarrheal disease is the second leading cause of death in children aged under five years in the world. It is both preventable and treatable. Globally, nearly 1.7 billion cases of childhood diarrheal disease occur every year. Each year diarrhea kills around 443,832 children aged under five years. According to Taiwan’s Communicable Disease Control Act, all suspected gastroenteritis outbreaks must be reported, and stool samples should be collected and sent to Taiwan Centers for Disease Control through the Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System. 
        An upward trend of diarrhea outbreaks had been observed in recent years, and endemic cases also exhibiting increased incidence rates in Taiwan. Acute gastroenteritis from food poisoning, caused by contamination and microbial growth due to improper food handling or storage, increased annually. A total of 7,167 stool samples from 1,560 reported diarrheal outbreaks were collected during 2018 to 2020. Of these, 453 (6.32%) samples were laboratory-confirmed with bacteria pathogens. Salmonella spp. and Staphylococcus aureus infections accounted for the greatest number of diarrhea clusters. 
        Rising average temperatures caused by global warming, weather fluctuations, and climate changes may affect the incidence and the spread of foodborne diseases. Thus, more attention needs to be paid to the preservation, cooking, processing, and handling of foods to avoid bacterial contamination. Continued monitoring of diarrhea outbreaks may provide a complete profile of epidemic patterns, which could be important to reduce the frequency of foodborne illnesses.