Epidemiological Evaluation of Water- and Foodborne Outbreaks in the United States and Europe

Abstract

Introduction: Water- and foodborne illnesses are of major public health concerns. However, the significance of foodborne diseases are generally underestimated. Therefore, in this study we aimed to emphasize on the importance of control of foodborne illnesses trough highlighting data about outbreaks, hospitalizations and deaths caused by contaminated food in the developed countries from 2015 to 2020. Method: In this descriptive-analytical study, 105 and 152 cases of water- and foodborne illnesses were reported in the United States (CDC) and Europe (ECDC) in 2015-2020. Results: The most reported causative agents were Salmonella spp, Cyclospora, Escherichia coliBacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens spp, and Listeria monocytogenes were in the US and Salmonella, Norovirus, Calicivirus, Campylobacter, B. cereus, and C. perfringens in the EU. Conclusion(s): According to the results, CDC and ECDC analyses could provide insights into the most critical pathogens and food sources help the authorities to control foodborne illnesses.

Keywords

• waterborne diseases
• foodborne diseases
• cdc
• ecdc
• epidemiological assessment