title: Foodborne outbreaks in Canada linked to produce: 2001 through 2009.
abstract: Foodborne disease outbreaks associated with fresh fruits and vegetables have been increasing in occurrence worldwide. Canada has one of the highest per capita consumption rates of fresh fruits and vegetables in the world. In this article, we review the foodborne disease outbreaks linked  to produce consumption in Canada from 2001 through 2009. The 27 produce-related outbreaks included an estimated 1,549 cases of illness. Bacterial infection outbreaks represented 66% of the total. Among these, Salmonella was the most frequent agent (50% of outbreaks) followed by Escherichia  coli (33%) and Shigella (17%). Cyclospora cayetanensis was the only parasite detected and was associated with seven outbreaks. Among the foodborne viruses, only hepatitis A was implicated in two outbreaks. The food vehicles most commonly implicated in outbreaks were leafy  greens and herbs (26% of outbreaks), followed by seed sprouts (11%). Contamination sources and issues related to the future control of fresh produce-related foodborne disease outbreaks also are discussed.
authors: Bureau of Microbial Hazards, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0K9.
authors: G K
authors: GK
authors: Kozak
authors: D
authors: D
authors: MacDonald
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Landry
authors: J M
authors: JM
authors: Farber
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis; D005516:Food Microbiology; D016266:Food Parasitology; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005638:Fruit / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D011159:Population Surveillance; D014675:Vegetables / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology