Workgroup report: public health strategies for reducing aflatoxin exposure in developing countries.
Consecutive outbreaks of acute aflatoxicosis in Kenya in 2004 and 2005 caused > 150 deaths. In response, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization convened a workgroup of international experts and health officials in Geneva, Switzerland, in July 2005. After discussions concerning what is known about aflatoxins, the workgroup identified gaps in current knowledge about acute and chronic human health effects of aflatoxins, surveillance and food monitoring, analytic methods, and the efficacy of intervention strategies. The workgroup also identified public health strategies that could be integrated with current agricultural approaches to resolve gaps in current knowledge and ultimately reduce morbidity and mortality associated with the consumption of aflatoxin-contaminated food in the developing world. Four issues that warrant immediate attention were identified: a) quantify the human health impacts and the burden of disease due to aflatoxin exposure; b) compile an inventory, evaluate the efficacy, and disseminate results of ongoing intervention strategies; c) develop and augment the disease surveillance, food monitoring, laboratory, and public health response capacity of affected regions; and d) develop a response protocol that can be used in the event of an outbreak of acute aflatoxicosis. This report expands on the workgroup's discussions concerning aflatoxin in developing countries and summarizes the findings.
Strosnider
Heather
H
National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30341-3717, USA. hks9@dc.gov
Azziz-Baumgartner
Eduardo
E
Banziger
Marianne
M
Bhat
Ramesh V
RV
Breiman
Robert
R
Brune
Marie-Noel
MN
DeCock
Kevin
K
Dilley
Abby
A
Groopman
John
J
Hell
Kerstin
K
Henry
Sara H
SH
Jeffers
Daniel
D
Jolly
Curtis
C
Jolly
Pauline
P
Kibata
Gilbert N
GN
Lewis
Lauren
L
Liu
Xiumei
X
Luber
George
G
McCoy
Leslie
L
Mensah
Patience
P
Miraglia
Marina
M
Misore
Ambrose
A
Njapau
Henry
H
Ong
Choon-Nam
CN
Onsongo
Mary T K
MT
Page
Samuel W
SW
Park
Douglas
D
Patel
Manish
M
Phillips
Timothy
T
Pineiro
Maya
M
Pronczuk
Jenny
J
Rogers
Helen Schurz
HS
Rubin
Carol
C
Sabino
Myrna
M
Schaafsma
Arthur
A
Shephard
Gordon
G
Stroka
Joerg
J
Wild
Christopher
C
Williams
Jonathan T
JT
Wilson
David
D
D003906:Developing Countries; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011634:Public Health / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods*; D014944:World Health Organization; D000096702:Aflatoxin Poisoning