FOOD-BORNE TOXIC INFECTION OUTBREAKS OF M ICROBIAL AND PARASITIC ORIGIN

In order to know the agents and foods related more frequently with foo d-borne disease outbreasks, we reviewed all the outbreaks studied betw een 1980 and 1989 by the National Laboratory of Public Health. A total of 79 outbreaks of food-borne diseases of microbial origin were revie wed The causative agent was identified in 50 (73%) outrbreaks. Twenty- four per cent of the outbreaks occurred in parties, 10.3 per cent in s chool or nurseries, 8.6 per cent in restaurants and 8.6 per cent in ho spitals. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common agent, causing 48.2 per cent of the outbreaks. Salmonella enterica was involved in 34 per cent of them. The most frequent serovar was Typhimurium. Foods involv ed were: cheese in 29.3 per cent of the cases; cakes in 15.5 per cent; cooked meat in 15.1 per cent, milk in 13.8 per cent; and fish and sea food in 7.0 per cent of the cases. Since the number of studied inciden ts represents only a small proportion of all the outbreaks occurring i n the country, the constant exchange of information among the laborato ries which work on the problem and the promotion of the health care te am are necessary in order to improve the epidemiologic surveillance sy stems and the study and prevention of food-borne disease and food pois oning outbreaks.