Investigating outbreaks caused by foodborne diseases and determining common bacterial agents that cause them in Kurdistan province

Abstract

Foodborne diseases are a global problem that is spreading day by day. These diseases are one of the most common causes of death in children and the elderly. This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of water and foodborne diseases in Kurdistan province for six months from April to September 2022. Stool samples from patients were collected in the laboratory in a special container containing 10% formalin preservative. 134 stool samples from 28 food outbreaks from Kurdistan province were analyzed for the type of infected bacteria. The research results were analyzed in SPSS-19 software. Among the 28 outbreaks in Kurdistan province during the two seasons of spring and summer, the highest number of outbreaks was in the summer season with 20 and then in the spring season with 8 outbreaks. The dominant age group was children under 10 years (%21) old and people between 20-30 years old, and the dominant gender group was men. The most common clinical symptoms were nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea and non-bloody diarrhea. It is important to know the type of bacteria that cause water and foodborne diseases in reducing outbreaks and treatment costs and applying necessary measures for control and prevention.

Keywords

• food technology
• food-borne disease
• outbreaks
• salmonella enterica
• shigellosis
• staphylococcus aureus