Campylobacter infections still topped the list of zoonotic diseases in the European Union while the number of cases of Salmonella infections in humans fell for the fourth year in a row, according to a report from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Zoonotic diseases are animal diseases that cross over to humans, known as zoonoses.
EFSA’s annual community zoonoses report for 2007 highlights that while food safety measures have significantly reduced instances of Salmonella affecting humans, more attention is needed to tackle Campylobacter and Listeria.
The report found that there were 200,507 cases of Campylobacter across the bloc in 2007 compared to 175,561 in the previous year, an increase of 14.2 per cent.
The report, published in association with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), also revealed that cases of listeriosis remained at the same level as in 2006 with 1,554 confirmed cases; however, the study reveals that Listeria also showed the highest mortality rate, especially among vulnerable groups.
“We have noted a high proportion of new born babies among the cases of listeriosis. ECDC is working closely with EFSA in a joint effort to find out more about the transmission of Listeria infections and what prevention measures can be taken to reduce the number of cases and deaths,” said ECDC’s head of surveillance, Andrea Ammon.
Source: FoodProductionDaily.com