What We Do
Foodborne infectious diseases, such as foodborne illness outbreaks, pose a health risk to the public. Between 10,000 and 16,000 people are affected by foodborne illness outbreaks each year. For Santé publique France, the key priorities are the surveillance and prevention of foodborne illness outbreaks to reduce the risk of contamination and contribute to food safety.
Surveillance of Outbreaks of Foodborne Illness
To conduct epidemiological surveillance of foodborne illness outbreaks, Santé publique France relies on the mandatory reporting system established in 1987.
This information is supplemented by data from the National Reference Center (CNR) for Salmonella.
Reporting a foodborne illness outbreak to the authorities (Regional Health Agency (ARS) and/or Departmental Directorate (for Social Cohesion) for Population Protection (DD(CS)PP)) is mandatory for physicians and managers of institutional or social food service establishments. Reports may also be filed by consumers or other individuals who are aware of an incident that may constitute a foodborne illness outbreak.
Reports of foodborne illness outbreaks to the ARS and DD(CS)PP enable joint investigations to identify the foods involved, the source of contamination, and any potential poor hygiene practices or issues with food preparation or storage.
This surveillance of foodborne illness incidents contributes to the implementation and evaluation of measures aimed at controlling and preventing their occurrence, thereby contributing to food safety.
The ARS forward foodborne illness reports to the Infectious Diseases Directorate of Santé Publique France, and the DD(CS)PP forward the information to the Health Emergencies Unit (MUS) of the General Directorate for Food (DGAL). Other stakeholders, such as the regional intervention units of Santé Publique France (Cire), ANSES (the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety), the DGCCRF (the General Directorate for Competition, Consumer Affairs, and Fraud Control), IFREMER (French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea), and the National Reference Center (CNR) for enteric viruses or Salmonella, among others, may also participate in the investigations.
Although it does not require the collection of individual data that is indirectly identifiable, aggregated data concerning patients and the disease is necessary.
Mandatory Reporting
Mandatory reporting involves collecting information as comprehensive as possible regarding all cases of certain diseases known as "notifiable diseases" from laboratory technicians and physicians. It involves two successive procedures: reporting and notification.
Physicians and laboratory professionals who suspect or diagnose a notifiable disease must report it immediately and by any appropriate means (telephone, fax) to the physician at the Regional Health Agency (ARS) in their area of practice.
The report allows the ARS physician to implement individual and collective preventive measures around the cases and, if necessary, to initiate investigations to identify the source of the infection and take action to reduce it.
Notification occurs after the report and most often after confirmation of the diagnosis. Reporting physicians or laboratory professionals notify the ARS physician at their place of practice using a form specific to each disease. Notification enables the analysis and monitoring of the progression of these diseases within the population in order to better target local and national prevention efforts.
Definition of cases to be reported and notified
| Reported cases | Type of notification form | Notified cases | Reporting and notification criteria |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any outbreak of foodborne illness | Simple, downloadable form | Any foodborne illness outbreak regardless of the results of epidemiological and environmental investigations (including in the absence of results) | Foodborne illness outbreak: the occurrence of at least two similar cases with symptoms—typically gastrointestinal—whose cause can be traced to a single food source |
Notification Form
Informing the public about the reporting of notifiable diseases
Reference materials
Circular of February 10, 2003, regarding the new system for anonymous reporting of notifiable infectious diseases. Bull Epidémiol Hebd 2003;12-13:69-76.
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