A recent episode of E. coli infection in Ontario belies the fact that onions are only rarely implicated in food-related disease outbreaks. As of June 2009, 8,471 infectious diseases outbreaks have been included in GIDEON. Onions were involved in only seven (0.08%) of these:

1983 – United States – Botulism – 28 – sauteed onions
1996 to 1997 – United States – Hepatitis A – 90 – green onions
1997 – United States – Cryptosporidiosis – 54 – green onions
1998 – United States – Hepatitis A – 43 – green onions
2003 – United States – Hepatitis A – 170 – green onions
2005 – Russia – Yersinia pseudotuberculosis – 33 – cabbage and onion salads.
2006 – United States – E. coli O157 – 99 – either green onions or shredded lettuce

A case imported from India into the United States is the latest in a growing list of cross-border measles episodes. The following is a chronology of notable outbreaks reported during the past decade.

1998 – An outbreak (69 cases, 2 hospitalized, 0 fatal) in Tuvalu was ascribed to introduced cases among workers from Nauru.
1998 – An outbreak (33 cases) was linked to an infected visitor arriving to Alaska, United States from Japan.
1999 – An outbreak (75 confirmed cases) in Australia was traced to an index case from Indonesia.
2000 – Outbreaks (78 cases, total) in Canada were linked to travel in Mexico (6 cases), Bolivia (19 cases) and Belgium (25 cases).
2000 – An outbreak (992 cases, or 57% of all cases for the Americas region) in Haiti was thought to originated with imported cases from the Dominican Republic.
2000 to 2001 – An outbreak (1,062 cases, 0 fatal) was reported in Tanzania among refugees from Burundi.
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An ongoing outbreak in Denmark belies the fact that salmonellosis rates in Scandinavia have remained fairly constant during the past decade. In the attached graph rates for the United States are added for comparison. Some additional background data on salmonellosis in Denmark – source www.GideonOnline.com (more…)

A recent outbreak highlights the fact that New Caledonia has one of the highest rates of leptospirosis in the Pacific region (see graph). In fact, in these islands, Leptospirosis is more common than Salmonellosis, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Gonorrhea and Tuberculosis (see graph).

The following background information regarding Leptospirosis in New Caledonia is abstracted from GIDEON:

Leptospirosis is most common in west coast cattle-farming areas and rural Melanesian settings

• Disease rates are highest in the Bourail area.
• Disease rates peak during March to May.

Notes:

1. An average of 4 fatal cases are reported yearly.
2. 57 cases were diagnosed during 1983 to 1985.
3. 239 cases were reported during 2001 to 2005. The principal serogroups were Icterohaemorrhagiae (69%), Australis (8%), Pyrogenes (6%)

58% of cattle are seropositive.

The principal reservoirs in this country are rodents, pigs, horses and cattle.

The principal species are Leptospira serovars. Icterohaemorrhagiae, tarassovi, pyrogenes, canicola, australis and pomona.

• Serovar tarassovi accounts for 22% of cases, icterohaemorrhagiae 18% and pyrogenes 17%.

Notable outbreaks:
1989 – An outbreak (144 cases, 6 fatal) was reported, with 41% of the cases caused by serovar icterohaemorrhagiae.

Update: Also mentioned in ProMED

346 INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND 7,316 OUTBREAKS INCLUDED IN NEW VERSION OF GIDEON ONLINE

– Features the most current information and decision support tools to assist medical professionals in diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases and bioterrorism agents–

LOS ANGELES, Calif., March 19, 2008 – GIDEON Informatics (www.gideononline.com) today announced a new version of its Web-based solution, with data on 346 infectious diseases, 7,316 outbreaks, 219 signs and symptoms and 80,000 medical notes. Providing comprehensive and accurate information on infectious diseases, GIDEON helps medical professionals worldwide improve the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases.
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We have found a wonderful distribution partner, EBSCO publishing (EP). This means that new institutional subscribers will sign up for GIDEON directly with EP. Based on their preference, current institutional subscribers can renew with GIDEON or EP. New and renewal individual subscriptions will still be handled by GIDEON.

Check out www.epnet.com/gideon for more information.

The press release: GIDEON and EBSCO Publishing partner to offer wider access to GIDEON (PDF).