Multicenter study of street foods in 13 towns on four continents by the food and environmental hygiene study group of the international network of pasteur and associated institutes.

An international multicenter study of ready-to-eat foods, sandwiches, and ice creams or sorbets sold in the streets and their vendors was carried out to assess the microbiological quality of these foods and to identify characteristics of the vendors possibly associated with pathogens. Thirteen towns in Africa, America, Asia, and Oceania were involved in the study. A single protocol was used in all 13 centers: representative sampling was by random selection of vendors and a sample of foods bought from each of these vendors at a time and date selected at random. Microbiological analyses were carried out using standardized Association Française de Normalisation methods, and the use of a standardized questionnaire to collect data concerning the characteristics of the vendors. Fifteen surveys were carried out, with 3,003 food samples from 1,268 vendors. The proportion of unsatisfactory food samples was between 12.7 and 82.9% for ice creams and sorbets and between 11.3 and 92% for sandwiches. For ice creams and sorbets, the sale of a large number of units (>80 per day) increased the risk of unsatisfactory food by a factor of 2.8 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.5 to 5.1), lack of training in food hygiene by 6.6 (95% CI: 1.1 to 50). and by a factor of 2.8 (95% CI: 1.4 to 5.4) for mobile vendors. These risk factors were not identified for sandwiches, this difference may be due to the presence of a cooking step in their preparation. These results show that the poor microbiological quality of these street foods constitutes a potential hazard to public health, that the extent of this hazard varies between the cities studied, and that vendors' health education in food safety is a crucial factor in the prevention of foodborne infections.

[Puffer fish poisoning in Madagascar: four case reports]. / Intoxication après consommation de poisson globe à Madagascar: à propos de 4 cas.

An outbreak of puffer fish poisoning in a family with four cases of which one was fatal is reported. The outbreak occurred in July 1998 in Nosy Be, an island located at the north-western part of Madagascar. Diagnostic investigation with application of the mouse bioassay suggested poisoning with a tetrodotoxin as the etiology. The amount of the toxin was 16 MU (mouse unit) per gram meal. A continuing surveillance of the seafood intoxications either in the country or in the west Indian Ocean region is needed.

Intoxication apres consommation de poisson globe a Madagascar :a propos de 4 cas

"An outbreak of puffer fish poisoning in Madagascar"" : An outbreak of puffer fish poisoning in a family with four cases of which one was fatal is reported. The outbreak occurred in July 1998 in Nosy Be; an island located at the north-western part of Madagascar. Diagnostic investigation with application of the mouse bioassay suggested poisoning with a tetrodotoxin as the etiology. The amount of the toxin was 16 MU (mouse unit) per gram meal. A continuing surveillance of the seafood intoxications either in the country or in the west Indian Ocean region is needed."

[Street-vendor foods: quality of ice creams, sherbets and sorbets sold in the urban agglomeration of Antananarivo]. / Aliments de rue: qualité des glaces, crèmes glacées et sorbets commercialisés dans l'agglomération urbaine d'Antananarivo.

A survey of selling conditions and bacteriological examinations of ice-cream was carried-out in Antananarivo from June 1996 to May 1997. The way of investigation by vendors and of bacteriological examinations were widely described. Sellers had classic features of a street-vended food vendor: uneducated, no having professional training and mishandling foodstuffs. 202 samples of ice-cream were collected. The contamination prevalence rate was of 95% +/- 3.7%. Salmonella typhimurium was isolated from one sample. Immediate and rigourous measures ought to be put into effect by authorities to right this alarming situation.

[Bacterial quality of the water supply in Madagascar]. / Qualité bactériologique des eaux d'adduction à Madagascar.

The results of 14371 drinking water analysis carried out in Madagascar between 1986 and 1993 by the water analysis and food microbiology laboratory of the Pasteur Institute of Madagascar are reported. After a history of the water analysis laboratory, methods and frequency of sampling, methods of analysis and standards applied are quoted and documented. Results for each province are reported and particularly indicated: the development of water samples and their portability along the years, the respective frequency of pollutant bacteria and their amounts according to sampling points. In spite of the lack of means in the country, the authors consider the results are satisfactory but they stress the importance of an organized surveillance system of drinking water quality.