title: [Symptoms of food-borne diseases and gastroenteritis in Kyushu, Japan].
abstract: In this study we analyzed the symptoms of gastroenteritis or food-borne disease caused by the 10 most prevalent pathogens: Norovirus, Salmonella, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium perfringens, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), Shigella sonnei/flexneri (Shigella), Staphylococcus aureus, and emetic-type Bacillus cereus. The symptoms diarrhea, vomiting, fever, abdominal pain, and headache, and the incubation period in 646 cases in 10 districts of Kyushu between January 2000 and December 2004 were recorded. The pathogen with the shortest mean incubation period was B. cereus (0.8 h), and was followed by S. aureus (3.3 h), C. perfringens (10.7 h) and V. parahaemolyticus (16.4 h). All the patients infected with B. cereus and S. aureus developed symptoms within 6 hours, and those infected with V. parahaemolyticus and C. perfringens developed symptoms within 24 hours. Bloody diarrhea was associated with STEC and Shigella, but rare with other pathogens. Vomiting was associated with almost all cases of S. aureus and B. cereus infection, and occurred in 71.5% of the Norovirus cases and 56.1% of the V. parahaemolyticus cases. Vomiting was less common in the C. perfringens (22.0%) and the ETEC and STEC (both about 5%). Bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, and vomiting were statistically significantly more common with STEC 0157 infection than with STEC non-0157 infection. Since the cases analyzed in this study included all degrees of illness, mild to severe, and a wide range of ages, the information obtained will serve as a good reference material for administrative and laboratory work when an outbreak takes place.
authors.affiliation: Okinawa Prefectural Institute of Health and Environment.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kudaka
authors.forename: Kazumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Horikawa
authors.forename: Kayo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uryu
authors.forename: Seiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsuyuki
authors.forename: Kikuyo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ogata
authors.forename: Kimiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawano
authors.forename: Yoshitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Shogo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamasaki
authors.forename: Haruo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iwanaga
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000821:virology; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000503:physiopathology; D005334:Fever / Q000209:etiology*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000821:virology; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D029322:Norovirus / Q000472:pathogenicity; D013202:Staphylococcal Food Poisoning / Q000503:physiopathology; D014839:Vomiting / Q000209:etiology*