Analysis of the Korean Emergency Department Syndromic Surveillance System: Mass Type Acute Diarrheal Syndrome

Ahn, Shin; Lee, Jae Ho; Kim, Won; Lim, Kyung Soo

The KFDA analyzed the outbreaks of food poisoning in the last seven years (2002-2008) and revealed the results. The food poisoning outbreaks were increased annually since 2003, and increase in school cafeterias and dining out, and change of climate from temperate zone to subtropical zone were considered to be the cause [6] . For the last five years, 75.6% of the total food poisonings were related to cafeterias and restaurants dealing sea foods such as fishes and shellfishes. School cafeterias had outbreaks during March and September beginning of the semester, and restaurants, between May and September when the temperature has risen. Pathogenic E.coli, salmonella, staphylococcus, vibrio, campylobacter jejuni and norovirus were the leading organisms of food material contamination and poor personal hygiene. Especially, the food poisonings during winter period, norovirus accounted for 42% [6] . Despite this increasing tendency, the reported cases of acute diarrheal syndrome (mass type) by the EDSS were decreased instead. Besides, comparing the reports from the KFDA in 2007, the reports were unreasonably insufficient to enable early detection and alerting an early warning system of food poisonings.