Epidemiological characteristics of foodborne disease outbreaks in schools in China, 2002-2015

Objective To explore epidemiological characteristics of foodborne disease outbreaks in schools in China and to provide evidences for effective prevention of foodborne disease outbreak.Methods Data on foodborne disease outbreaks in schools reported between 2002 and 2015 were extracted from Chinese National Foodborne Disease Surveillance Network and analyzed.Results A total of 1 054 foodborne disease outbreaks in schools in China were reported during the 14 years and the reported outbreaks involved 37 480 cases,18 492 hospitalizations,and 11 deaths.Microbial pathogens were the most common cause of the outbreaks (34.54%) and more than a half of the deaths (54.55%) were induced by chemical agents-related outbreaks.Main types of the food related to the reported outbreaks were vegetables (14.14%),cereals (12.71%),and meat (8.63%).More outbreaks occurred in primary and high schools and during September of a year.Improper processing of the food and cross contamination of pathogens were linked to the reported outbreaks.Conclusion Pathogenic microorganisms contamination is a main cause of foodborne disease outbreaks in schools in China and effective measures should be taken to deal with the situation.