Microbiological foodborne diseases, number of outbreaks

Armenia

Source of data: National Health Information Analytic Center, Ministry of Health of the Republic of
Armenia http://moh.am/?section=static_pages/index&id=625&subID=824,29.
Data collected annually, reference period: 31 December.

Austria

Data are not available.

Belgium

Source: Federal Public Service of Public Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment, Scientific
Institute of Public Health.
The number of reported outbreaks more than doubled in 2011 as compared to previous years, which
might be due to an adapted outbreak investigation procedure at the FASFC and/or increased
sensibility by consumers, especially after the death of an adolescent in a French fastfood
restaurant and the German E. coli O104:H4 outbreak involving many deaths
(http://www.favv.be/publicationsthematiques/Report-zoonotic-agents-Belgium.asp).

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Public Health Institute - Department of Epidemiology.

Cyprus

No data are available

Czechia

Source: Ministry of Health of CR.
Reduction in year 2012 caused by the reduction in number of salmonella outbreaks due to successful
implementation of veterinary programmes for infection control in poultry.

Denmark

Source: Annual Report on Zoonoses in Denmark, by DTU FOOD, National Food Institute.
http://www.food.dtu.dk/Publikationer/Foedevaresikkerhed/Annual_report_on_zoonoses

Estonia

Source: Health Protection Inspectorate till 2009. Since 2010 National Health Board.
The registration of outbreaks generally includes more than 10 cases.

Finland

Source: Finnish Food Safety Authority (Evira).
Description of the types of outbreaks covered by the reporting:
All general domestic food- and waterborne outbreaks are reported in Finland. Illness of more than
two persons from single source is considered a cluster and a suspected outbreak. Sporadic cases
(except for botulism) and infections acquired abroad are not included in the food poisoning
register, whereas they are included in the infectious disease register. Family outbreaks are
reported if commercial foodstuffs are supposed to be a source of illness or several persons are at
risk. Obligatory reporting involves definite communicable diseases and traditional foodborne agents
such as those causing intoxications.

France

Source of data: Institute de veille sanitaire (French Institute for public health surveillance)
http://www.invs.sante.fr/Dossiers-thematiques/Maladies-infectieuses/Maladies-a-declaration-obligatoi
re/Toxi-infections-alimentaires-collectives

Georgia

Source: National Centre for Disease Control and Public Health of Georgia (NCDC)
(http://www.ncdc.ge).
Breaks in time series:
2010: The increase in number of outbreaks since year 2010 has been due to the change of the
reporting format in 2009.
2012: Since 2012, the category of the microbiological food-born diseases has been changed and
traditional ICD-10 category (A05) was expanded and codes T61, T62 and T64 were added. Since this
time a permanent growth of cases has been registered.

Germany

Source: Robert Koch-Institute, Infectious Disease Surveillance Report, Chapter 5, table 5.2.1 (data
as of March 1, 2015).
http://www.rki.de
Coverage: Data on outbreaks are collected by the Robert Koch-Institute in compliance with the
Infectious Disease Control Act. According to õ6 Infectious Disease Control Act in Germany cases are
notifiable if two or more persons have the same disease (e.g. food poisoning) and it is supposed
that these diseases have the (probably) common origin.
The reported figures are potential foodborne outbreaks (2 and more cases). This means, because of
the germ an infection or intoxication due to microbiologically contaminated food is assumed. The
notifiable germs that could be transmitted through food are: Clostridium botulinum, Brucella spp.,
Campylobacter spp., Cryptosporidium parvum, Escherichia coli, enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli
(EHEC), Francisella tularensis, Giardia lamblia, Hepatitis-A and Hepatits-B, Listeria monocytogenes,
Salmonella enterica Serovar Paratyphi A-C, Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhi, Salmonella spp.,
Shigella spp., Trichinella spiralis, Yersinia enterocolitica and Vibrio cholera.
Due to often transmissions from person to person outbreaks on Norwalk-like virus are excluded.

Iceland

Source: Until 2001: Environment & Food Agency (formerly The National Centre for Hygiene, Food
Control and Environmental Protection).

Ireland

Source: Health Protection Surveillance Centre. Relates to the number of outbreaks reported to the
HPSC where food was suspected to have contributed to transmission.

Israel

Source: Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Health.

Latvia

Data are not available.

Lithuania

Source: Centre for Communicable Diseases Control and AIDS.

Luxembourg

Data are not available.

Malta

An outbreak is counted when you have 2 or more cases involved.
Source: Infectious Disease Prevention & Control Unit,Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Directorate (reviewed the data of 2007-2012. Only confirmed cases are now included. As for outbreaks
only confirmed outbreaks of foodborne illness are included. This has resulted in some increase in
the numbers of total confirmed cases and a reduction in the numbers of outbreaks in 5 out of six
years.)

Montenegro

Outbreak is counted even if there are only a few cases in one place at the same time, e.g. in one
family.

Netherlands

Source: NN=National Notification to Inspectorate for Health Care (RIVM). Until 2008, the data refer
to the statutory notifications. From 2009 onwards, data cover also and are integrated with the
registration of the Food and Goods Authority

North Macedonia

Source: Registration form for communicable diseases; Institute for Public Health (IPH)

Norway

Data are not available.

Poland

Source of data: National Institute of Public Health - National Institute of Hygiene.

Republic of Moldova

All acute intestinal diseases (salmonellosis, dysentery, yersiniosis, rotavirus gastroenteritis,
enteritis caused by opportunistic enterobacteria, etiologically nerasshifrovanye acute intestinal
diseases, etc.) transmitted by microbiologically contaminated food are included into the data.
In the republic of Moldova, the term ?intestinal disease outbreak? is used when 5 and more cases are
registered (in the hospital - two or more cases).
According to the documents of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Moldova, cases of food
poisoning are reported to the Ministry of Health and the National Center of Public Health within 24
hours from the time of detection. The procedure of collecting and transmitting data is as follows:
A medical professional of any medical institution submits an emergency notification (Form N58/e) to
the Regional Public Health Center (for each patient suspected of the disease or with a primary
diagnosis of an acute intestinal disease including food intoxication). Based on these submissions,
an epidemiological study is conducted to establish the fact of a disease outbreak.
Regional Centres of Public Health, in turn, inform the Ministry of Health and the National Center of
Public Health within 24 hours from the time of detection and registration of acute intestinal
diseases and food poisoning with 5 or more victims (in the hospital - with 2 or more victims).
Source of data: After the completion of epidemiological studies (see above), Regional Centres of
Public Health send final reports of the outbreak investigation to the National Center of Public
Health. These reports are analysed and used as an official source of information about intestinal
disease outbreaks at both national and international levels.
In order to obtain timely information, investigation and registration of intestinal disease
outbreaks the guidelines \On information

Romania

Source: National Institute for Public Health.

Serbia

Source of data: Institute of Public Health of Serbia. An outbreak is counted when 2 or more cases
are involved. Most outbreaks are small \family (household) outbreak\" (3-5 cases) associated with
consumption of eggs prepared without appropriate heat treatment."

Slovakia

Source: Institute of Public Health, Banska Bystrica from 1990.
Break in time series: Before the year 2009, an outbreak was counted when more than 2 people were
involved. Since 2009, an outbreak is counted when more than 15 people are involved.

Slovenia

Source of data: National Institute of Public Health, Slovenia (NIJZ). Data for 2014 and previous
years are available in annual report on communicable diseases available at link:
http://www.nijz.si/sites/www.nijz.si/files/uploaded/epidemiolosko_spremljanje_nalezljivih_bolezni_20
14_2.pdf.

Spain

Source: Instituto de Salud Carlos III. Centro Nacional de Epidemiologia.www.isciii.es
Infection or intoxication due to microbiologically contaminated food (Salmonellas, Estafilococo, C.
perfringens, Shigella sonnei, C.Botulinum, Other and Unknown). Contaminated water as common origin
is excluded.

Sweden

Source: National Food administration. The National Food Agency is the central administrative
authority for matters concerning food.
http://www.livsmedelsverket.se/sok/?q=rapporterade+matf%c3%b6rgiftningar
An outbreak counts when more than two people are involved, except for C. botulinum were more than
one person is enough. Number of reported outbreaks and cases of microbial food-borne illnesses have
increased over the years (1993-2014).

Switzerland

Source of data: Coverage: Deviation from the definition: Estimation method: Break in time series:

Türkiye

Source of data: Public Health Institution of Turkey, Ministry of Health of Turkey.
Method: Includes the number of outbreaks occurring from microbiological foodborne diseases in a
year.
In 2012 figure is higher than for previous years presumably because of a change in the reporting
system and Syrian refugees.

Turkmenistan

Criteria for an outbreak - 20 or more microbiological foodborn poisonings from the same source
during certain time period.

United Kingdom

Data are not available.

Uzbekistan

An outbreak includes at least 15 cases.