title: Botulism surveillance in Italy: 1992-1996.
abstract: Though a relatively rare disease, botulism can be a serious problem of public health, particularly when connected with the consumption of industrial canned food; moreover, in the last years the shortage of botulism antitoxin has caused some concern in the Public Health Authorities. This work presents the results of a five-year surveillance of botulism in Italy, with the distribution of the cases by Regions (first level administrative units which, in Italy, have administrative and legislative competencies in the sanitary field) and by vehicle of transmission. All the relevant and confirmed botulism outbreaks that occurred in the period under consideration are described.
authors.affiliation: Azienda Sanitaria Locale Roma F, Civitavecchia, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Squarcione
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prete
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vellucci
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001904:Botulinum Antitoxin; D001906:Botulism / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003014:Clostridium botulinum / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011786:Quality Control
chemical_list: D001904:Botulinum Antitoxin