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Foodborne Illness
Food Poisoning Information
In Australia it is estimated that there are 5.4 million cases of foodborne illness each year ¹. People generally associate foodborne illness with symptoms of gastroenteritis (vomiting and/or diarrhea), however consumption of contaminated food may cause other, more severe symptoms including meningitis, septicemia, neurological conditions and hepatitis. Some foodborne illness pathogens may also cause chronic conditions or disease, including reactive arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome and Guillain-Barrè syndrome ². In some high risk population groups, foodborne illness may be fatal, with 80 deaths occurring each year ¹.
There are many reasons for investigating clusters or outbreaks of foodborne illness, which includes: to identify the causes of foodborne illness and prevent further cases of infection; to identify inappropriate practices in the food industry which may lead to food contamination and further cases; to understand the epidemiology of foodborne disease; to provide data for risk assessments and policy interventions; and to assist in assessing the burden of foodborne illness on the community.
1. Hall G, Kirk M, Becker N, Gregory JE, Unicomb L, Millard G, et al. Estimating foodborne gastroenteritis, Australia. Emerging Infectious Diseases 2005 Aug 1;11(8):1257-64.
2. Australian Department of Health and Ageing. Foodborne Illness in Australia - annual incidence circa 2000. Australian Government; 2005.
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