BACKGROUND: More thorough information about risks, exposures and @entity6766 can be obtained from epidemiological field investigations than from infectious disease reports or laboratory data. METHODS: We analysed the results of 410 field investigations of food @entity66 outbreaks reported from 1996 to 2000 and conducted as cohort studies. RESULTS: The incidence of food borne outbreaks increased from 0.8/100,000 in 1996 to 2.0 in 1999, as did the incidence of @entity5746 (from 16/100,000 to 21 in the same period) and @entity294 episodes reported by laboratories (from 12/100,000 in 1997 to 29 in 1999). Of the food @entity66 outbreaks, 264 (64.4%) occurred in private homes; 5 (1.2%) in hospitals; 31 (7.6%) in canteens and refectories, 84 (20.5%) in restaurants, 41 of which occurred during special functions. The home outbreaks exposed few @entity1 (average of 7), had high attack rates (61.7% average) and a high proportion of known aetiology (66%), @entity6766 outbreaks in canteens and restaurants (during special functions) exposed many @entity1 (300 and 81, respectively), had medium attack rates (19.7 and 34.5%, respectively) and a higher proportion of confirmed vehicles (50 and 49%, respectively), compared to those occurring at home (21%). @entity5746 spp. was the most frequent agent detected in each setting (67% of confirmed cases). The most frequent vehicles at home were mushrooms and sweets containing eggs and cream; in canteens, meat and vegetables and in restaurants, shellfish. CONCLUSIONS: Outbreak characteristics varied according to the setting. This implies the need for a different approach of field investigations, and different preventive measures.

XXXX in the Lazio region, Italy: the results of epidemiological field investigations.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['people'] @entity66 :: ('MESH:D004194', 'Disease') :: ['borne disease'] @entity6766 :: ('MESH:D005517', 'Disease') :: ['vehicles of food borne diseases', 'while food borne disease'] @entity294 :: ('MESH:D003967', 'Disease') :: ['diarrhoea'] @entity5746 :: ('MESH:D012480', 'Disease') :: ['salmonellosis', 'Salmonella']
@entity6766 :: (MESH:D005517,Disease) :: ['Outbreaks of food borne diseases']
