COST ACTION 920

Inventory of QMRA Studies in Europe

Pathogen

 Shigatoxin producing E. coli O 157

Country or region

  Netherlands

Transmission route

 From

cattle 

To

 disease burden (DALY)

Specific product(s)

 Steak tartare

End-point(s)

 disease burden

Bibliographic reference

Nauta, M.J., Evers, E.G., Takumi, K., and Havelaar, A.H., 2001. Risk assessment of Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli O157 in steak tartare in the Netherlands. Bilthoven, RIVM: report nr.  257851 003.
http://www.rivm.nl/bibliotheek/rapporten/257851003.pdf

Abstract

The methodology of quantitative microbiological risk assessment (QMRA), a tool to evalute food related helath risks, is rapidly developing. As a contribution to this development, a QMRA of Shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC) O157 in steak tartare in the Netherlands is conducted, using the Modular Process Risk Model (MPRM) concept. STEC O157 has caused a number of large-scale outbreaks in several industrial countries with severe public health consequences, often associated with the consumption of beef products. An exposure model was constructed, covering the whole food pathway from farm animals to human consumption. This model was linked with a newly developed dose response model of STEC O157 based on Japanese outbreak data. It resulted in estimates of steak tartare contamination (prevalence and concentration) and the incidence of STEC O157 associated illness by steak tartare consumption. As in other QMRAs, these estimates are highly uncertain as a consequence of a lack of adequate data all over the food pathway. Expert opinion was used to obtain estimates of several model parameters. Compared with independent data, the model estimate of the prevalence of contaminated raw tartare patties (0.3%) is low, whereas the estimated incidence rate of diarrhoeal illness (8 per 100.000 person years) is high. The QMRA approach allows for an overall scenario analysis. It was found that intervention at the farm or during slaughter is probably more efficient to reduce STECO157 health risks than intervention at the consumer stage. Furthermore, important data gaps could be identified.

Status

published

Availability

report available at http://www.rivm.nl/bibliotheek/rapporten/257851003.html

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