Epidemiological and microbiological aspects of residential outbreaks of foodborne illness in the Parana State, Brazil

Abstract

Foodborne illness results in high costs to public health and the food chain production worldwide. The majority of the population is unaware of food safety requirements and consequently, domestic kitchens are sources of contamination and spread of disease. Eating habits and the profile of food handlers in these sites guide the planning of surveillance and public education. This study describes the epidemiological and microbiological aspects of household outbreaks of foodborne illness in the State of Parana, using the Notifiable Diseases Information System database. There were 357 outbreaks between 2008 and 2012 in the State of Parana, and households were the main place of occurrence (43.70%), followed by restaurants and bakeries (21.00%), and kindergartens and schools (11.20 %). Household outbreak records derived from the municipalities for regional health coverage, based in Curitiba, Cascavel, Pato Branco, Foz do Iguaçu and Londrina. These indicated an increased number of reported cases between 2011 and 2012. The increase in reporting reflects a greater awareness among professionals because of training. The results highlight the consumption of contaminated food (36.15%), by strains of coagulase positive Staphylococcus (36.23%). They also reflect an intensification and wholeness of public policies on the education of the population regarding hygiene principles in the acquisition, handling, preparation, storage, and consumption of food in the household.