OzFoodNet: enhancing foodborne disease surveillance across Australia: quarterly report, July to September 2004

Abstract

The Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing established the OzFoodNet network in 2000 to collaborate nationally to investigate foodborne disease. OzFoodNet conducts studies on the burden of illness and coordinates national investigations into outbreaks of foodborne disease. This quarterly report documents investigations of outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness and clusters of disease potentially related to food occurring around Australia. For information on sporadic cases of foodborne illness, see Communicable Disease Surveillance, Highlights for 3rd quarter 2004 in this issue of Communicable Diseases Intelligence.

This report summarises the occurrence of foodborne disease outbreaks and cluster investigations between July and September 2004. Data were received from OzFoodNet representatives in all Australian states and territories and a sentinel site in the Hunter region of New South Wales. The data in this report are provisional and subject to change, as results of outbreak investigations can take months to finalise