title: An overview of food safety and bacterial foodborne zoonoses in food production animals in the Caribbean region.
abstract: Foodborne diseases (FBDs) in the Caribbean have a high economic burden. Public health and tourism concerns rise along with the increasing number of cases and outbreaks registered over the last 20 years. Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., and Campylobacter spp. are the main bacteria associated with these incidents. In spite of undertaking limited surveillance on FBD in the region, records related to bacterial foodborne zoonoses in food-producing animals and their associated epidemiologic significance are poorly documented, giving rise to concerns about the importance of the livestock, food animal product sectors, and consumption patterns. In this review, we report the available published literature over the last 20 years on selected bacterial foodborne zoonoses in the Caribbean region and also address other food safety-related aspects (e.g., FBD food attribution, importance, surveillance), mainly aiming at recognizing data gaps and identifying possible research approaches in the animal health sector.
authors.affiliation: Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 334, Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis.
authors.forename: Maria Manuela Mendes
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Guerra
authors.affiliation: Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 334, Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis. AdeAlmeida@rossvet.edu.kn.
authors.forename: Andre M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: de Almeida
authors.affiliation: Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 334, Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis.
authors.forename: Arve Lee
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Willingham
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017691:Caribbean Region / Q000453:epidemiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005516:Food Microbiology; D059022:Food Safety; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D058751:Livestock; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology
keywords: Bacterial zoonosis; Caribbean region; Food animal products; Foodborne diseases; Livestock; Surveillance