Epidemiological Studies on Food Poisoning in England and Wales and in Japan

Abstract

During the ten years (1952-1961), the reported yearly mean food poisoning incidents were in total 1, 973 involving 34, 926 patients and 300 deaths in Japan, and 6, 552 involving 9, 732 patients and 34 deaths in England and Wales.
During the two years (1960-1961), the number of sporadic cases in Japan was 14per cent compared with the number of the total incidents, and in England and Wales was 88per cent.
As regards the causal agents, 76per cent of total sporadic cases were due to tetrodotoxin in poisonous fish, swellfish and 42per cent of the total deaths were due to the above mentioned tetrodotoxin in Japan.
About 50per cent of the total deaths were due to Salm. typhi-murium in England and Wales.
As regards the seasonal variation of all incidents, 84per cent of the total incldents were reported in 4 months (July-October) in Japan, and 50per cent in 4 months (June-September) in England and Wales. It seems this difference of the seasonal variation is due to the difference of the temperature between the two countries.
As regards the causal agents, 56per cent of the total incidents were due to bacterial infection and 43per cent were due to natural poison in Japan, and nearly 100per cent were due to bacterial infection in England and Wales.
As regards the type of food causing these poisoning, in most of the incidents were associated with fish, shell and their products in Japan and were associated with meat in England and Wales.
As regards the kind of places where the causative food was cooked, 38per cent of the total incidents were at home in Japan, and 51per cent were at such establishments for mass feeding as in the business places, hospitals and school in England and Wales.