Gyung Jin Bahk

Use of Internet Search Queries to Enhance Surveillance of Foodborne Illness

“Food poisoning” queries were correlated with the number of foodborne illness–related hospital stays.

Ranking Determination of Foods and Foodborne Pathogens for Impact of Climate Change on Microbiological Food Safety

This study was performed to determine the ranking foods and related foodborne pathogens for the impact of climate change, e.g., increasing temperature, on microbiological food safety. To do this, we developed an impact-ranking model comprising an Excel spreadsheet by using Risk Ranger. Because of a lack of data, input values in this model were determined on the basis of an expert`s opinion. These values also were converted to normal distribution, and the developed model was simulated using @RISK. In conclusion, the 5 superior ranking foods and related foodborne pathogens for climate change impact were as follows: ready-to-eat foods (RTE) (Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp., and Escherichia coli O157:H7); bread and rice cakes (S. aureus and Bacillus cereus); meat and egg products (Salmonella spp., E. coli O157:H7, and S. aureus); tofu (bean curds) and jellies (B. cereus, E. coli O157:H7, and S. aureus); and fish products (S. aureus, Vibrio spp., and E. coli O157:H7).

Combined influence of multiple climatic factors on the incidence of bacterial foodborne diseases

Information regarding the relationship between the incidence of foodborne diseases (FBD) and climatic factors is useful in designing preventive strategies for FBD based on anticipated future climate change. To better predict the effect of climate change on foodborne pathogens, the present study investigated the combined influence of multiple climatic factors on bacterial FBD incidence in South Korea. During 2011-2015, the relationships between 8 climatic factors and the incidences of 13 bacterial FBD, were determined based on inpatient stays, on a monthly basis using the Pearson correlation analyses, multicollinearity tests, principal component analysis (PCA), and the seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) modeling. Of the 8 climatic variables, the combination of temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, insolation, and cloudiness was significantly associated with salmonellosis (P<0.01), vibriosis (P<0.05), and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection (P<0.01). The combined effects of snowfall, wind speed, duration of sunshine, and cloudiness were not significant for these 3 FBD. Other FBD, including campylobacteriosis, were not significantly associated with any combination of climatic factors. These findings indicate that the relationships between multiple climatic factors and bacterial FBD incidence can be valuable for the development of prediction models for future patterns of diseases in response to changes in climate.

Bacterial contamination in Saeng-go-gi, a ready-to-eat fresh raw beef dish sold in restaurants in South Korea.

This study investigated the bacterial contamination levels in ready-to-eat fresh raw beef, Saeng-go-gi in Korean, sold in restaurants. A total of 462 samples were analyzed by performing an aerobic bacterial plate count, a coliform count, and an Escherichia coli O157:H7 count. Aerobic bacterial plate counts of fresh raw beef obtained from Seoul, Cheonan, Daegu, Gunsan, and Gwangju retail store restaurants were 6.46, 6.89, 6.39, 6.58, and 6.67 log CFU/g, respectively, and coliforms were 4.05, 4.97, 4.76, 3.62, and 3.32 log CFU/g, respectively. Among the 462 assessed samples, suspected E. coli O157:H7 colonies were found in 32, 24, 20, 22, and 16 samples obtained from Seoul, Cheonan, Daegu, Gunsan, and Gwangju, respectively. The identity of these isolated colonies was further assessed by using a latex agglutination kit. The agglutination assay data showed that the isolates were not E. coli O157:H7. The data from this study could be used to design better food handling practices for reducing foodborne illnesses linked to fresh raw beef consumption.

Estimate of the prevalence and burden of food poisoning by natural toxic compounds in South Korea

Many studies have attempted to accurately estimate the overall number of cases of foodborne illness, but there have not been many attempts to estimate the burden of foodborne disease caused by natural toxic compounds. This study estimated the number of cases due to specific natural toxins (seafood toxins, plant toxins, and mycotoxins) during 2008-2012 in South Korea, using data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA), while accounting for uncertainty in the estimate. The estimated annual occurrences of foodborne illness from natural toxic agents were 1088 (90% credible interval [CrI]: 883-1315), which suggests there are 21 times more cases than are reported, with 45.6% (n=496 [388-614]) and 54.4% (n=592 [423-790]), accounting for inpatient stays and outpatient visits, respectively. Among toxins, mushroom and plant toxins caused the highest illnesses, followed by toxic agents in seafood and mycotoxins. The 55-59year olds had the highest proportion of illnesses and those over the age of 40 accounted for 70.6% of all cases. The cases caused by mushroom poison, poisonous plants, and seafood toxins showed clear seasonal and regional differences. These results will be useful to food safety policymakers for the prevention and control of natural food poisons in South Korea.