The number of foodborne illness outbreaks reported in Germany has continued to decline to the most recent figures.
In 2021, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) and the Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) obtained fewer epidemic reports with 168 compared to 193 last year.
At least 1,179 cases, 196 hospitalizations and two deaths were linked to them in 2021. As in previous years, the reasons were Campylobacter and Salmonella.
Other agents in the outbreaks were norovirus, Bacillus cereus, hepatitis A virus, Listeria monocytogenes, Clostridium perfringens, Yersinia enterocolitica, E. Shiga toxin-producing coli (STEC), Clostridium botulinum, Cronobacter sakazakii, histamine, Shigella and Staphylococcus aureus. In seven outbreaks with 73 cases, the pathogen remained unknown.
Nineteen of the 22 outbreaks with more than five patients were due to Salmonella.
Examples of outbreaksCompared to before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of reported outbreaks has been cut in half. This is due to several things, adding measures taken to involve the coronavirus, reduced and stricter hygiene measures, RKI and BVL said.
Of the 21 so-called high-evidence epidemics, due to the link between disease and diet, six were due to Bacillus cereus with 105 cases. Six also for Salmonella with 210 patients and 67 hospitalizations.
One outbreak of Campylobacter affected 39 people, two had health problems in the outbreaks of Listeria and Clostridium botulinum, and histamine in health problems affected thirteen people.
An outbreak of Cronobacter sakazakii affected 4 young children and one death in a hospital. It is similar to the combined probiotic infant formula in the hospital.
The largest outbreak with 98 cases caused by norovirus and related to infected lettuce. The food is believed to have been infected through a person with health problems.
The most severe moment affected another 93 people and was caused by Bacillus cereus. It was related to the intake of rice with vegetables in several nurseries. These places were provided by the same catering company. With vegetables may be the cause.
The third largest caused 82 cases and 30 hospitalizations and part of a multi-country outbreak of Salmonella Braenderup linked to Honduras’ Galia melons.
Seven outbreaks of high-evidence outbreaks occurred in private homes and 3 were traced to fast food or takeaway establishments.
Contributing points included non-compliance with garage time and temperature conditions, improper cooling or heat treatment, cross-contamination, an inflamed employee, or an infected ingredient.
Of the 147 outbreaks of low evidence, 63 were due to Campylobacter with 175 cases. Nineteen with 61 cases of Salmonella Enteritidis, 18 with 97 patients with Salmonella Typhimurium and 11 with 147 infections with other types of Salmonella.
Thirteen patients and one death were recorded in 3 outbreaks of Listeria. Two STEC outbreaks caused six infections and two outbreaks of Yersinia enterocolitica affected 4 people. Hepatitis A was connected with 4 outbreaks and 11 cases.
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