Campylobacteriosis most reported animal infection transmitted to humans

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published its second annual community report on infectious diseases transmissible from animals to humans (zoonotic diseases) which affect over 380,000 European Union (EU) citizens every year.

In 2005, campylobacteriosis overtook salmonellosis as the most reported zoonotic disease in humans in the EU. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) provided the data on human zoonoses cases and contributed in the analysis of human related data in the report.

The second annual Community report (2005) on infectious diseases transmissible from animals to humans has highlighted campylobacteriosis as the most reported animal infection transmitted to humans in the EU.

As in 2004, the primary source of most human Campylobacter infections is related to fresh poultry meat with up to 66% of some samples being positive.

On the other hand, Salmonella infections, while also still remaining a serious public health challenge, fell by 9.5% in 2005 to an incidence rate of 38.2 cases per 100,000 (176,395 reported cases). Salmonellosis in humans is most likely linked to the presence of Salmonella in eggs and poultry and pig meat. A decrease in Salmonella contamination in eggs was observed during the last years.

The report also provides data on important resistance rates to antibiotics in Campylobacter originating from farm animals and food of animal origin. Some results indicated that over 80% of the tested bacteria were resistant to antibiotics commonly used to treat human diseases.

This is a growing area of concern for public health specialists as this important reservoir of antimicrobial resistance might compromise effective treatment of these diseases in humans.

In 2005, the reporting of investigated outbreaks caused by consumption of contaminated food was mandatory for the first time in the EU. Together, 5311 foodborne outbreaks were reported in the EU involving 47,251 people and resulting in 5330 hospitalisations and 24 deaths.