Epidemiological analysis of foodborne botulism in Qinghai Province from 1959 to 2022

Abstract

ObjectiveTo provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of botulism， we analyzed the epidemic characteristics and influencing factors of foodborne botulism incidents in Qinghai Province over the years.MethodsBotulism data from 1959 to 2022 were collected， and epidemiological characteristics were analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2021 software. The Mann-Kendall trend test was conducted to analyze the number of botulism events and case fatality rates using R 4.2.3 software. The ArcGis 10.2 software was used to create a spatial distribution map of botulism incidents in Qinghai Province.ResultsA total of 86 events of foodborne botulism occurred from 1959 to 2022， with 348 cases and 195 deaths. The case fatality rate was 56.03%. The incidence was mainly concentrated in the second and third quarters， with herders being the major affected population. The chief type of botulinum toxin was the E type and “air-dried meat” was the major toxic food source. Raw and ready-to-eat foods were the major products consumed.ConclusionAs a region with a high incidence of foodborne botulism， the cases of botulism and fatality rates have decreased significantly from 1959 to 2022. However， the case fatality rate remains high. Considering the particularity and high case fatality rate and geographical location of botulism， food safety education must be strengthened for high-risk groups， attract the attention of grassroots personnel in high-incidence areas， and improve the ability of grassroots medical institutions to treat this disease.

Keywords

• clostridium botulinum
• botulinum toxin
• foodborne pathogens
• qinghai province