Epidemic characteristics of household outbreaks of foodborne diseases in China, 2010 – 2016

  Objective  To analyze epidemiological characteristics of household foodborne disease outbreaks in China during 2010 – 2016 and to provide references for developing effective prevention and control strategies on foodborne disease outbreaks.

  Methods  We collected national data on household foodborne disease outbreaks reported to China National Foodborne Diseases Surveillance Network from January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2016, and analyzed spatial and temporal distribution, isolated pathogens, related food consumption, and associated factors of the outbreaks.

  Results  During the 7-year period, totally 5 197 household foodborne disease outbreaks were reported, involving 29 210 illnesses and 780 deaths, with a case fatality rate of 2.7%. The reported annual number of the outbreaks increased from 1 873 in 2010 to 7 842 in 2016. More outbreaks were reported during May – October in a year and in Southern China and the provincial level region with the highest number of reported foodborne disease cases was Yunnan province. The most frequently verified etiological factor of the outbreaks was consumption of poisonous mushroom, being attributed to 9 438 cases and 32.3% of all the cases and being the leading cause for the outbreaks from 2014 to 2016, and food contaminated by pathogenic organisms (to 8 277 cases and 28.3% of all the cases and the leading cause for the outbreaks from 2010 to 2013). Salmonella was the most frequently isolated pathogen (3 891 cases, 59.2% of the pathogens identified) for all the outbreaks. The most frequently verified food related to the foodborne disease cases was mushroom (9 592 cases, 32.8% of all the cases), followed by contaminated meat (4 854 cases, 16.6% of all the cases). Of all the foodborne disease cases reported, 7 901 cases (27.0%) were linked to multiple factors and 7 647 cases (26.2%) were induced by eating poisonous food by mistake.

  Conclusion  In China from 2010 to 2016, the incidence of household foodborne disease outbreaks is relatively high during May to October in a year and more outbreaks occurred in southern regions; intake of poisonous mushroom by mistake is a main cause of the reported household foodborne disease outbreaks.