Epidemiological characteristics of bacterial food poisoning events in China from 2010 to 2019

ObjectiveThis study aimed to provide suggestions for the prevention and control of bacterial food poisoning. The pattern of occurrence and epidemiological characteristics of bacterial food poisoning in China were determined， and its spatial aggregation was explored.MethodsDescriptive epidemiology was conducted to analyze and compare national bacterial food poisoning events from 2010 to 2019， and ArcGIS 10.6 was used to analyze the data spatially and draw relevant maps.ResultsA total of 1 110 cases of bacterial food poisoning were reported in China from 2010 to 2019， involving 49 457 poisonings and 87 deaths. Most bacterial food poisoning incidents occurred in the third quarter and in September. The highest number of incidents with identified causes was attributed to the contamination of meat and meat products， accounting for 19.10% of the total incidents. Non-typhoid Salmonella， Vibrio parahaemolyticus， and Bacillus cereus were the main causative agents of bacterial food poisoning， accounting for 56.04% and 61.17% of the total number of incidents and poisonings， respectively. The number of bacterial food poisoning incidents （39.37%） and morbidity incidents （34.76%） caused by collective canteens was the highest. The highest number of deaths （83.91%） from bacterial food poisoning occurred in households. Guangdong， Sichuan， Yunnan， Guangxi， and Shandong reported the highest number of incidents with the highest number of people poisoned in the country. The national bacterial food poisoning incidents exhibited a clustered spatial distribution， with “hot spots” mainly concentrated in parts of Yunnan， western and northern Guangxi， southern Sichuan， Chongqing， western and northern Hubei， western and southern Hu’nan， and central and northern Guangdong.ConclusionThe number of bacterial food poisoning incidents ranks first among all kinds of food poisoning incidents in China， suggesting the need for relevant departments to strengthen supervision and training， particularly in crucial settings such as collective canteens and catering service units. Various food safety standards and requirements should be strictly implemented， and publicity and education should be strengthened for key populations. It is recommended that hotspot regions of bacterial food poisoning explore the underlying causes and mechanisms of their spatial aggregation and implement corresponding measures to reduce the occurrence of such incidents.