Title: Google botulism: an annotated database

Authors: Vidur Tangri; Guy E. Skinner; Mary E. Losikoff; Shomik Datta; Shashi K. Sharma

Addresses: Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, College Park, MD, 20740, USA ' Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, College Park, MD, 20740, USA; Food and Drug Administration, Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH), Bedford Park, IL, 60501, USA ' Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, College Park, MD, 20740, USA ' Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, College Park, MD, 20740, USA ' Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, College Park, MD, 20740, USA

Abstract: Botulism risk information is available on government websites such as USFDA, USDA, CDC, Canadian Food Inspection Agency (Canadian CFIA), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), and Health Canada. State health departments and university websites contain consumer-based information about botulism. Outbreaks of botulism are quickly investigated, and appropriate measures are coordinated among public health and regulatory agencies. Here, we compiled a list of publically reported botulism outbreaks. The data includes published reports from all countries but reports were mostly from USA. The database focuses initially on the 17-year period from 1994 to 2010 throughout the world, but has been and will be updated and expanded. The data will be publically accessible for viewing and analysis. This botulism web-based data source representing a tool for scientists and epidemiologists is both feasible and practical and is a step toward improving the understanding and knowing the occurrence of foodborne botulism worldwide.

Keywords: reported botulism outbreaks; C. botulinum; Google; botulism database; web-based data sources; food borne botulism; botulism risk information; government websites; university websites.

DOI: 10.1504/TBJ.2013.055661

The Botulinum Journal, 2013 Vol.2 No.3/4, pp.179 - 188

Published online: 11 Oct 2014 *

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