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| Author | Dr. Gauden Galea MD, MSc |
| Abstract | Internationally, foodborne disease leads to significant morbidity and financial loss. Evidence is strong that many forms of foodborne illness are increasing rapidly. In Malta, most cases occur in the setting of outbreaks. The investigation of outbreaks is thus an important tool in describing the epidemiology of these diseases, monitoring trends, establishing their economic impact and planning prevention and control. A comparative presentation of three outbreaks highlights the major problems with the system of investigation in Malta: lack of clear roles, non-standard investigations and inadequate follow-up. The main hazards in mass catering implicated in these outbreaks were the use of untrained food handlers with poor hand hygiene, inadequately controlled sources of raw materials and substandard systems of handling. The opportunity to implement changes in the Maltese system are arising as the Department of Health is about to undergo a reorganization which includes the setting up of a Directorate of Public Health. An office for the control of communicable disease needs to be set up in the Directorate. This would coordinate and standardize outbreak investigations, collate the information and apply it to preventive programmes which would include education of the general public, of food handlers and of food inspectors. |
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| Key words | outbreak investigation, salmonella, foodborne illness |