Ireland: New study on food borne diseases

Almost one-third of all infectious diseases reported in Ireland can be transmitted through food, Safefood has said. It has just launched a major new study, which will be the first in the world to use comprehensive DNA fingerprinting to estimate the level of food borne infections.

The study into infectious intestinal disease (IID) will identify the DNA of the bugs that cause gastroenteritis and food poisoning. It is being carried out in the Republic and Northern Ireland in tandem with a UK study.

"Some 30% of all infectious diseases reported to the disease surveillance centres in Dublin and Belfast are caused by a range of infectious agents known to be transmissible through food. This high proportion, together with increased globalisation of food supplies and the increasing consumption of processed foods, is necessitating new collaborative research", Safefood said.

The aim of the IID study is to relate infections causing gastroenteritis to specific bugs, so that the risks associated with the consumption of different foods can be estimated.

The study will follow up samples of the population for one year to identify all cases and causes of gastrointestinal infection. This huge task will involve nurses in 30 GP practices keeping in contact with 100 patients every week.

"When people think about infectious diseases, they tend to think about diseases like TB, but research consistently shows three out of 10 infectious diseases are caused by infectious agents transmissible through food", commented Dr Cliodhna Foley Nolan of Safefood.

She pointed out that the study will use 'the most elaborate and sophisticated methodology to date worldwide in the form of DNA molecular laboratory methods'.

Commenting on the study, Safefood chief executive, Martin Higgins, emphasised that the reduction of food borne disease is an important public health target.

"While much research has been carried out, we are now facing new challenges. Food borne disease does not respect geographical borders and with so much of our food coming from global sources, it is important to collaborate to share solutions", he said.

Reference
http://www.irishhealth.com/?level=4&id=13580

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