Foodborne Disease Outbreaks in Germany

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Mar 2, 2018 - Microbiology

Foodborne Disease Outbreaks in Germany

The data on foodborne disease outbreaks in Germany is collected by local health and food monitoring authorities and transmitted through parallel reporting channels (according to the Infection Protection Act or BELA reports) via the state authorities to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) or to the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL). The data is consolidated by the RKI and BVL, jointly assessed, and forwarded to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Based on the collected data, a joint report has been published annually by the RKI and BVL since 2015.

In 2016, 397 foodborne disease outbreaks were reported to the RKI or BVL - at least 2508 illnesses, 256 hospitalizations, and four deaths were associated with the outbreaks. About half of the reported outbreaks were caused by Campylobacter, and 23% by Salmonella. In 41 outbreaks, evidence for the link between the illnesses and a food was rated as high according to EFSA criteria. Campylobacter Enteritis outbreaks accounted for the largest share of high-evidence outbreaks (23%).

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Source: Annual Report 2016 of BVL from 14.11.2017, Food & Hygiene Issue 01/2018 Behr's Verlag Hamburg