Epidemiological Survey of Food-Borne Botulism in Iran During 2004–2008

Abstract

ISEE-0135 Background and Objective: Foodborne botulism poisoning is one of the most hazardous food intoxication due to consumption of contaminated food such as meat, canned vegetables, traditional sea foods and, in rare cases, dairy products. In Iran, for instance, it is considered a health problem with variable prevalence rate. Methods: The goal of this survey was to study epidemiological aspect of foodborne botulism in Iran during a five year period. In this cross-sectional study, data of the botulism cases in Iran from 2004–2008 have been collected and analyzed epidemiologically in relation to food origin, type of processing, distribution in rural and/or urban vicinities and widespread types. Results: Overall, 341 suspected cases of botulism have been recorded in Iran during this five year period. The highest number of cases were reported in 2008 (28.28%) and the lowest number of cases were reported in 2004 (12.6%). Among the provinces, most of cases were reported from Gilan (90 reports) and West Azerbaijan reported the lowest number of cases (4 reports 1.17%). According to the survey, spawn and saline fish are the most frequent foods involved in botulism outbreaks (31.08 %). The prevalence rate was higher in rural areas (56.59%) than in cities (39.29%). Conclusion: This survey shows an increase of botulism cases from 2004 until 2008 probably due to improved reporting systems. Some preventive measures such as health education, good sanitation practices, avoiding traditional food processing, and consumption of non-pasteurized dairy products and food inspection can prevent botulism cases.