Foodborne disease in Australia: incidence, notifications and outbreaks. Annual report of the OzFoodNet network, 2002

In 2002, OzFoodNet continued to enhance surveillance of foodborne diseases across Australia and has expanded its network to cover all Australian states and territories. This annual report was published in Communicable Diseases Intelligence Vol 27, No 2, June 2003, and can be viewed as 6 HTML documents and is also available in PDF format.

Page last updated: 30 June 2003

A print friendly PDF version is available from this Communicable Diseases Intelligence issue's table of contents.


Appendix 1. Summary of gastrointestinal infections notified to OzFoodNet sites potentially due to food, 2002

  Australian Capital Territory Hunter New South Wales Northern Territory Queensland South Australia Tasmania Victoria Western Australia Total
Campylobacter cases
367
nn
nn
208
3,905
2,519
610
4,932
2,175
14,716
rate
114.0
nn
nn
105.0
105.3
165.7
129.0
101.2
112.9
113.0
Salmonella cases
96
179
2,147
330
2,722
520
165
1,207
730
7,917
rate
29.8
32.9
32.3
166.7
73.4
34.2
34.9
24.8
37.9
40.3
Yersinia cases
1
nn
nn
7
73
13
1
nn
4
99
rate
0.3
nn
nn
3.5
2.0
0.9
0.2
nn
0.2
1.2
STEC cases
0
0
5
0
6
38
0
5
4
58
rate
0.0
0.0
0.1
0.0
0.2
2.5
0.0
0.1
0.2
0.3
HUS cases
0
3
7
1
1
0
0
4
0
13
rate
0.0
0.6
0.1
0.5
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.1
0.0
0.1
Typhoid cases
1
0
22
0
11
4
0
21
5
64
rate
0.3
0.0
0.3
0.0
0.3
0.3
0.0
0.4
0.3
0.3
Shigella cases
0
2
84
103
95
26
1
66
130
505
rate
0.0
0.4
1.3
52.0
2.6
1.7
0.2
1.4
6.7
2.6
Listeria cases
0
0
12
0
20
2
2
15
11
62
rate
0.0
0.0
0.2
0.0
0.5
0.1
0.4
0.3
0.6
0.3

nn not notifiable


Appendix 2. Outbreak summary for OzFoodNet sites, 2002

State
Month of outbreak
Setting category
Agent responsible
Number exposed
Number affected
Evidence*
Epidemiological study
Responsible vehicles
Hunter Jan Restaurant S. Potsdam Unknown 17 AM C Egg based dressings
Feb Restaurant V. parahaemolyticus Unknown 2 D D Unknown
Feb Commercial caterer C.   perfringens 33 16 AM C Spit roasted beef and/or pork
Apr National franchised fast food Unknown Unknown 5 D C Suspected seafood pizza
May Restaurant Unknown Unknown 3 D D Suspected seafood
May Restaurant Unknown Unknown 5 D C Unknown
Jun Restaurant Unknown Unknown 4 D C Suspected seafood
Aug Restaurant Unknown 19 5 D C Unknown
Aug Takeaway Unknown Unknown 2 D D Suspected kebabs
Nov Home Norovirus Unknown 6 D D Unknown
Nov Restaurant Unknown Unknown 5 D D Unknown
Nov Takeaway S. Montevideo Unknown 47 M D Imported tahini
Dec Restaurant Norovirus Unknown 3 D D Unknown
Dec Restaurant Unknown Unknown 4 D D Unknown
Dec Restaurant Unknown Unknown 4 D D Suspected beef dish
Dec Restaurant Unknown Unknown 11 D C Unknown
Dec Restaurant Unknown Unknown 4 D D Unknown
NSW Jan National franchised fast food S. Virchow 4 3 A CCS Chicken
Jan Takeaway Unknown Unknown 4 D D Mixed foods
Jan Takeaway Unknown 2 2 D D Barbecue chicken
Jan Takeaway Unknown 2 2 D D Special fried rice
Feb Restaurant S. Typhimurium 9 Unknown 8 A C Deep fried ice cream
Feb School S. Typhimurium 9 900 132 A CCS Baked beans/chilli con carne
Mar National franchised fast food Unknown 4 4 D D Pizza
Mar Home Ciguatera poisoning Unknown 7 M D Spanish mackerel
Apr Home Unknown 56 20 D C Suspected pasta
Apr Takeaway Unknown 2 2 D D Fish
Apr Bakery S. Typhimurium 126 Unknown 32 M D Vietnamese pork/chicken rolls
May Restaurant Unknown 10 2 D D Beef curry
Jun Fair/festival/mobile service Unknown Unknown 6 D D Cake
Jun Takeaway Unknown 5 5 D C Pizza
Jul Restaurant Unknown Unknown 4 D D Unknown
Jul Restaurant Unknown 130 30 D CCS Unknown
Sep Cruise/airline Unknown 3 3 D D Chicken casserole
Sep Restaurant Unknown 5 4 D D Mixed foods
Oct Bakery S. Typhimurium 135 Unknown 29 D D Cream filled cake
Oct Restaurant Hepatitis A Unknown 8 D D Yum cha
Nov Restaurant S. Typhimurium 170 var Unknown 6 D C not identified
Dec Restaurant C.   perfringens 261 70 A C Lamb curry
Dec Restaurant S. Typhimurium 126 1,200 21 A CCS Thai salad
Qld Jan Takeaway Ciguatera Unknown 2 D D Spanish mackerel
Jan Restaurant C.   perfringens Unknown 2 D D Unknown
Jan Aged care facility S. Typhimurium 102 53 12 D C Suspected egg-white dish
Feb Home Ciguatera 2 2 D D Striped perch
Feb Institution S. Potsdam Unknown 2 D D Unknown
Feb National franchised fast food Staphylococcus aureus 9 8 D D Pizza
Feb Restaurant Unknown 7 6 D D Unknown
Mar Home S. Typhimurium 135a 10 10 D D Salmon/egg/onion/rice patties
Apr Home Ciguatera 5 3 D D Grunter bream
May Restaurant Unknown 7 7 D D Unknown
Jun Commercial caterer Bacillus cereus 250 37 AM CCS Rice
Aug Restaurant Unknown 23 16 D D Unknown
Aug Community Campylobacter jejuni Unknown 24 M D Chicken
Oct Restaurant S. Hadar 22 Unknown 3 D D Suspected egg dish
Nov Restaurant S. Typhimurium 197 24 8 D D Unknown
Dec Home C.   perfringens 3 3 D D Unknown
Dec School Norovirus 200 48 D D Unknown
Dec Child care S. Typhimurium 135a Unknown 12 D D Suspected egg sandwiches
SA Apr Restaurant S. Typhimurium 8 Unknown 78 AM CCS Caesar salad
May Community S. Typhimurium 43 Unknown 5 A CCS Sliced ham
May Home C.   perfringens 12 8 D C Potato and meat pie
Oct Bakery S. Typhimurium 99 Unknown 22 AM C Cream and custard cakes
Tas. Mar Restaurant S. Typhimurium 135 Unknown 5 D D Unknown
Vic. Feb Commercial caterer Unknown 90 32 A C Chocolate mud cake
Feb Restaurant Norovirus 30 12 D D Unknown
Feb Restaurant Unknown 23 18 D C Unknown
Feb Hospital Unknown 13 13 D D Soup
Mar Restaurant Unknown 15 8 D C Unknown
Mar Home S. Typhimurium 135 67 19 A C Roast chicken
Mar Commercial caterer Unknown 16 12 D C Suspected sandwiches
Mar Fair/festival/mobile service S. aureus, B. cereus 600 272 M D Mixed foods
Apr Home S. Typhimurium 135 9 6 M D Home barbequed chicken
Apr Aged care facility S. Typhimurium 9 302 18 D D Unknown
Apr Home S.  Typhimurium 170 Unknown 6 M D Hedgehog - possibly eggs
Apr Child care S.  aureus Unknown 7 M D Rice
Apr Cruise/airline C.   perfringens 34 18 D C Unknown
May Restaurant Unknown 33 10 A C Pea and ham soup
May Restaurant Norovirus 650 192 D C Unknown
May Bakery S.  Typhimurium U290 Unknown 10 A CCS Cream filled cakes/pastries
Jun Bakery S.  Typhimurium 135 Unknown 20 D D Vietnamese pork rolls
Aug Aged care facility C.   perfringens 69 15 D D Suspected gravy
Aug Restaurant S.  Typhimurium 135 Unknown 12 D D Suspected spring rolls
Oct Aged care facility C.   perfringens 64 23 D D Suspected gravy
Oct Commercial caterer Norovirus unknown 25 A C Suspected cheesecake
Oct Restaurant Suspected viral 296 23 D C Mixed foods
Nov Commercial caterer Norovirus 140 32 D C Mixed foods
Nov Restaurant Suspected wax ester 15 10 D D Suspected rudderfish
Dec Restaurant Unknown 20 5 D D Steak or sauce
Dec Restaurant Unknown 77 41 D C Unknown
WA Feb Home Unknown 100 30 D D Unknown
Feb Restaurant Norovirus 230 60 AM C Seafood salad
Aug Commercial caterer Unknown 1,100 Unknown A CCS Oyster shooters
        7,234 1,819      

* A=analytical epidemiological evidence; D=descriptive evidence: M=microbiological evidence. † C=cohort study; CCS=case control study; D=descriptive study.


This article was published in Communicable Diseases Intelligence Volume 27, No 2, June 2003.

Communicable Diseases Intelligence subscriptions

Sign-up to email updates: Subscribe Now