Surveillance of Foodborne and Waterborne Disease Outbreaks in Kerman Province from 2015 to 2019

Foodborne and waterborne diseases are currently considered significant causes of death and related outbreaks throughout the world. Accordingly, this study investigated foodborne and waterborne disease outbreaks in Kerman Province.
The foodborne and waterborne disease outbreaks data in this descriptive-analytical study were collected from 2015 to 2019 in 9 cities that were registered in the Health Department of Kerman University of Medical Sciences. The outbreaks were examined and compared in terms of time (year, season, and month), county, etiological factors, type of food, and the place of the outbreak.
A total of 160 waterborne and foodborne disease outbreaks occurred in 9 cities in Kerman province from 2015 to 2019, which led to 3111 diseases, 824 hospitalizations, and 3 deaths. Most outbreaks were reported in Kerman in the spring and were mainly caused by food containing meat. Moreover, the most important known factor was E. coli. Residential houses were also the most common site of the reported outbreaks.
Given the high incidence of outbreaks in Kerman province, further education is necessary to improve the food health system and food safety.