Trends of Recent Food-Borne Disease Outbreaks in Korea

Joon Wuk Kwun; Cheol Heon Lee

doi:10.5124/jkma.2007.50.7.573

J Korean Med Assoc > Volume 50(7); 2007 > Article

Kwun and Lee: Trends of Recent Food-Borne Disease Outbreaks in Korea

Focused Issue of This Month

Food Poisoning

Journal of the Korean Medical Association

Journal of the Korean Medical Association 2007; 50(7): 573-581.

Published online: July 31, 2007

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5124/jkma.2007.50.7.573

Trends of Recent Food-Borne Disease Outbreaks in Korea

Joon Wuk Kwun, MD, Cheol Heon Lee, MD

Communicable Disease Control Team, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. kjw9925@mohw.go.kr, cheolheon@hanmail.net

Abstract

This report summarizes recent food-borne disease outbreaks in Korea by month, pathogen, dining place, and scale. In particular, imported cases are described separately. Sources of information include surveillance and statistic data and reports of KCDC/MOHW and KFDA, and scientific journals from home and abroad. Investigation results indicate that reports of food-borne disease cases and imported cases are increasing continuously in Korea. Many cases still occur in May and June, and new cases increasingly occur in December. Other new characteristic of the recent outbreaks is that they are increasingly attributable to pathogens such as Norovirus and EHEC. Outbreaks at mass meal preparation facilities represent a large proportion of cases, mainly due to the increase in the possibilities for common exposure, pathogen mobility, meat consumption, and the detection itself. To address this health problem, water and sewer service must be widely provided, food materials must be handled thoroughly, and good personal hygiene including proper hand washing must be further underscored. As a responsible agency, KCDC will also need to conduct thorough epidemiological investigations, establish an efficient surveillance system, work in a prompt manner, and enhance partnerships with various agencies.

Food-borne disease outbreak; Norovirus; Mass meal preparation facilities; Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(KCDC)

References

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2. Hall GV, D'Souza RM, Kirk MD. Foodborne disease in the new millennium: out of the frying pan and into the fire? Med J Aust 2002;12. 02-16. 177:614-618.

3. http://www.kfda.go.kr/open_content/foodpoison/

4. http://www.nhic.or.kr/wbm/wbmb/wbmb_1000_f.jsp

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6. Jee YM. Norovirus food poisoning and laboratory surveillance for viral gastroenteritis in korea. Health and Welfare Policy Forum 2006;118:26-34.

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Figure 1

Number of reported food-borne disease cases and outbreaks.

Source: KFDA (http://www.kfda.go.kr/open_content/foodpoison/)

Figure 2

Infectious gastrointestinal disease cases (from the National Health Insurance Corporation).

Source: National Health Insurance Corporation (http://www.nhic.or.kr/wbm/wbmb/wbmb_1000_f.jsp)

Figure 3

Number of reported food-borne disease cases by months.

Source: KFDA (http://www.kfda.go.kr/open_content/foodpoison/)

Figure 4

Number of reported food-born diease outbreaks by pathogens.

Source: KFDA (http://www.kfda.go.kr/open_content/foodpoison/)

Figure 5

Number of reported food-borne disease outbreaks and cases in school food service establishment by self-operated or contracted.

Source: KFDA (http://www.kfda.go.kr/open_content/foodpoison/)

Table 1

Number of reported food-borne disease outbreaks and cases

Source: Korea Food & Drug Adminstration(KFDA)(http://www.kfda.go.kr/open_content/foodpoison/)

Table 2

Number of reported food-borne disease outbreaks and cases by months

Source: KFDA (http://www.kfda.go.kr/open_content/foodpoison/)

Table 3

Number of reported food-borne disease outbreaks and cases by food-borne pathogens

Source: KFDA (http://www.kfda.go.kr/open_content/foodpoison/)

Table 4

Number of reported food-borne disease outbreaks and cases by dining place

Source: KFDA (http://www.kfda.go.kr/open_content/foodpoison/)

Table 5

Number of reported food-borne disease outbreaks and cases in school food service establishment by self-operated or contracted

Source: KFDA (http://www.kfda.go.kr/open_content/foodpoison/)

Table 6

Number of reported food-borne disease outbreaks and cases by number of patients

Source: KFDA (http://www.kfda.go.kr/open_content/foodpoison/)

Table 7

Number of reported diarrhea disease outbreaks and cases by foreign traveler (happening/cases)

Source: Korea Center for Disease Control & Prevention

Table 8

List of notifiable and surveillance targeted communicable diseases in Korea as of 2007 June

^※Sentinel Survillance System conditions (Viral hepatitis B·Influenza·STD·Appointed communicable diseases) will be notified by Sentinel Surveillance Agencies

^※Sexually transmitted diseases(STD): syphilis; gonorrhea; chancroid; Urethritis, non-gonococcal; Chlamydia; condyloma acuminate.

^※Varicella has newly been designated since the Communicable Disease Prevention Act has been revised on Jul 13, 2005

^※Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome(SARS) and Avian influenza in human, Tularemia, Q fever have newly been designated since the Communicable Disease Prevention Act Regulations has been revised on Jan 14, 2006

^※(1) Anthrax reporting time frame changed from reporting within 7 days to immediate reporting.

^※(2) Syndrome-based newly emerging infectious disease with symptoms like : Acute hemorrhagic fever, Acute respiratory syndrome, Acute diarrhea, Acute jaundice, Acute neurologic syndrome.

^※(3) Clinical surveillance appointed communicable diseases (9 type): Viral hepatitis A, Viral hepatitis C, VRSA infection, Chagas's disease, Angiostrongyliasis, Gnathostomiasis, Filariasis, Hydatidosis, CJD & vCJD

^※(4), (5), (6) Laboratory surveillance appointed communicable diseases

^※(4) Bacterial enteritis (11 type): Salmonellosis, Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection, enterotoxigenic E. coli(ETEC) infection, enteroinvasiveness E. coli (EIEC) infection, enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) infection, campylobacteriosis, Clostridium perfringens infection, Staphylococcus aureus infection, Bacillus cereus infection, Yersinia enterocolitica infection, Listeria monocytogenes infection

^※(5) Viral enteritis (4 type): Group A Rotavirus infection, Astrovirus infection, Adenoviral enteritis, Norovirus infection

^※(6) Protozoal enteritis (2 type): Entamoeba histolytica infection, Giardiasis