Foodborne infections and intoxications in Poland in 2017

The purpose of this study is to assess the epidemiological situation of food poisonings and infections in Poland in 2017.

The evaluation was based on the analysis of information sent to Department of Epidemiology NIPH-NIH through ROE (pol. Rejestr Ognisk Epidemicznych)- (an electronic system created for uploading, transfer and analysis of data acquired during the outbreak investigations). Additional sources for the analysis were NIPH-NIH annual bulletins (Czarkowski MP et al. “Infectious diseases and poisonings in Poland”, 2011-2017. Warsaw, NIPH-NIH and GIS).

In 2016 a total number of 926 foodborne infections and intoxications outbreaks were reported in which 27 702 persons were exposed and 7 416. A total number of 2 502 of patients were hospitalized. The most frequent etiological agent of outbreaks was hepatitis A virus (HAV) (27.1%). The most frequent cause of infection for all outbreaks cases was Salmonella sp. – 37.2%, especially serotype Enteritidis (32.2%). Among other agents rotaviruses caused 9.3% of outbreaks and noroviruses 14.5%. In 12.2% of outbreaks no etiological agent was found. The most frequent place of an outbreak was private household- 560 outbreaks (60.4%), and after that- hospital- 155 outbreaks (16.7%). In 86.8% of outbreaks no vehicle was found and in remaining the most frequent vehicle were eggs and egg products- 5.6% % of all outbreaks.

Increasing yearly trend of Salmonella Enteritidis outbreaks, and high proportion of eggs and egg products as vehicles in those outbreaks point towards necessity of microbiological surveillance enchantment in relation to abovementioned products. Dynamic increase in HAV outbreaks is a good example of how a pathogen with high epidemic potential could spread in susceptible population.