An epidemiological investigation of foodborne and waterborne disease outbreaks in Fars Province in Iran from 2020 to 2023

Abstract

Objective: To examine the incidence of foodborne and waterborne diseases as well as the relationship between the sources of outbreaks and the method of drinking water supply with the initial symptoms of the disease in Fars province of Iran from 2020 to 2023.
Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed 630 confirmed outbreaks reported to health centers within the jurisdiction of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences from March 2020 to March 2023. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software, version 22.
Results: Totally 630 outbreaks were reported, affecting 2 363 primary cases with 190 hospitalizations from 2020 to 2023. The highest incidence of the outbreaks by year and month was reported in 2022 (n=266, 42.2%) and in April (n=77, 12.2%). The main source of infection in the outbreak was food with 426 (67.6%) cases, with food poisoning syndrome being the most common symptom observed (n=435, 69.0%). Besides, the causative agent of 461 (73.1%) outbreaks was unknown and 56 (8.9%) was salmonellosis. Additionally, relationship between source of outbreak and the method of drinking water supply with primary symptoms of the disease was statistically significant (P<0.001).
Conclusions: This study found that the cause of most outbreaks is unknown, with transmission occurring through food, which leads to the hospitalization of many individuals. The findings can help officials and the public increase awareness, implement stricter monitoring of water and food safety, and ultimately reduce the burden of disease.

Keywords

Outbreak / Foodborne diseases / Waterborne disease / Iran

Conflict of interest statement

The authors claim there is no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all the study participants for their patient cooperation during the interview procedure. We also acknowledge the support of health personnel in conducting the study.

Funding

The study receives no extramural funding.

Data availability statement

The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

Authors’ contributions

Karami H provided guidance in conducting the study, conceptualized the study plan, and wrote the manuscript. Jafari F provided guidance in conducting the study, analyzed the data, and wrote the manuscript. Mohammadi Abnavi M analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript. Manoochehri Y compiled and prepared the final data set for analysis, reviewed the analysis, and wrote the manuscript. Ghanbarian M carried out data collection and wrote the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript for publication.

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