P1-126 Foodborne and Waterborne Diseases in Four World Regions Using Informal Reporting Methods, 2009-2010

Monday, July 23, 2012
Exhibit Hall (Rhode Island Convention Center)
Caroline Smith DeWaal, Center for Science in the Public Interest, Washington, DC
Caitlin Catella, Center for Science in the Public Interest, Washington, DC
Katherine Kreil, George Washington University, Washington, DC
Introduction:  Diarrheal diseases, which are associated with food and water contamination, kill approximately 2.2 million people per year worldwide. In some regions, formal reporting methods, which use comprehensive disease surveillance systems, are not available or are very limited for foodborne and waterborne diseases. Informal reporting methods, which are publically available via online sources, provide a means for supplementing formal reporting with real-time information on outbreaks.

Purpose:  The goal of this study was to determine whether informal reporting methods can be used in collaboration with formal reports (information primarily from governmental sources) to better understand the regional trends and burden of foodborne and waterborne diseases.

Methods:  The website, Safe Food International Regional News, was developed to gather informal reports on foodborne and waterborne diseases in six world regions. Articles were sorted by region and year (2009 and 2010). Four of the six regions met inclusion requirements for analysis. Data was extracted from each article for analysis. Statistical tests were used to determine if there were significant differences between regions and years in case fatality and cumulative incidence rates using the following factors: disease-causing agents, pathways, start month/season, and information source. In addition, results of informal reports for cholera were compared to the WHO’s formal cholera database for each region.

Results:  Almost 400 disease events between 2009 and 2010 were analyzed. There were statistically significant differences in case fatality rates between the world regions - with Africa having the highest rate. Informal reporting results for cholera were compared to official WHO results for cholera. In many regions, informal reports closely matched the formal reports in terms of the virulence and pathogenicity of cholera. Additionally, some informal reports added valuable information on outbreaks not captured via formally reporting. 

Significance:  Formal reporting systems vary globally. While comprehensive formal reporting systems provide the best information for making public health decisions, where such systems do not exist, informal reporting can address knowledge gaps.