Analysis of bacterial foodborne disease outbreaks in China between 1994 and 2005.

To gain an understanding of the outbreaks of bacterial foodborne diseases and the subsequent health impact, we reviewed 2447 papers from journals published in China that reported 1082 bacterial foodborne disease cases occurring between 1994 and 2005. Among the 1082 outbreaks of bacterial foodborne disease for which the etiology was determined, Vibrio parahaemolyticus caused the most outbreaks, followed by Salmonella, and Clostridium botulinum led to the most deaths. Most of the outbreaks occurred between May and October, except for Clostridium botulinum, which mainly occurred in January and February. In littoral provinces, Vibrio parahaemolyticus caused the most events, whereas in inland provinces, the largest percentage of events was caused by Salmonella. This review provides a background and analysis of Chinese foodborne disease caused by bacteria. We hope that this review can be compared to reviews from other regions of the world, in an attempt to prevent future outbreaks from occurring.