Incidence of foodborne disease in The Netherlands: Annual summary 1979

Abstract

Data on the incidence of foodborne disease in 1979 are presented. A total of 163 incidents affecting 604 ill persons were analyzed. In 42 incidents, the etiology was established; microorganisms appeared to be the main causative agents. Salmonella was responsible for 8 of these incidents (20 cases), Stapylococcus aureus for 7 (28), Clostridium perfringens for 11 (24) and Bacillus cereus for 6 (29). In 9 incidents (15 cases), illness resulted from ingestion of chemicals. About 60% of the episodes were associated with only two food items - meat and meat products (30%) and Chinese food (28%). Mishandling of food in food-service establishments resulted in about one third of the incidents, and mishandling at home in another quarter. Cases of foodborne disease recorded by the Ministry of Public Health included infections from Salmonella (6174), Yersinia enterocolitica (116) and Campylobacter (202). However, these could not be analyzed further due to a lack of epidemiological information.