Analysis of foodborne disease outbreaks in schools in Zhejiang Province during 2010-2019 / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To understand the epidemiological characteristics of foodborne disease outbreaks in schools in Zhejiang province, and to provide evidence for effective prevention and control of foodborne disease outbreaks in schools.@*Methods@#A descriptive analysis was conducted on foodborne disease outbreaks in Zhejiang schools reported by the national foodborne disease outbreaks surveillance system from 2010 to 2019.@*Results@#During the past 10 years, a total of 86 foodborne disease outbreaks in schools were reported, with 1 755 illnesses, 240 hospitalizations, and no deaths. Pathogenic bacteria and their toxins were the main causes of foodborne disease outbreaks in schools, accounting for 83.0%(44/53) of all identified causes. The top four types of pathogenic bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, diarrheagenic Escherichia coli, and Bacillus cereus. Meat products and mixed foods were the main foods that caused the outbreaks, each accounting for 16.3%(14/86) of total incidents. High school cafeterias were places with the highest incidence, accounting for 38.4%(33/86) of the total. School concession stands caused the largest number of hospitalizations, accounting for 37.1%(89/240) of the total. The peak month of foodborne disease outbreaks in schools was September, followed by June, May, and October. Crosscontamination and improper storage were the main causes of foodborne disease outbreaks in schools.@*Conclusion@#Bacterial foodborne disease is a major food safety issue in schools in Zhejiang Province. In summer and fall, school cafeterias and food stores should take effective measures to prevent bacterial foodborne disease outbreaks caused by cross-contamination and improper storage of high-risk foods such as meat products and cold-processed bakeries.