How often does foodborne illness really occur?
Most cases of foodborne illness go unreported because the ill person usually does not see a doctor, report it to the EHO, or submit a stool specimen. For every one case that is reported, it is predicted that anywhere from ten to one hundred cases go unreported. Health Canada also estimates that every year 11 to 13 million Canadians become ill with foodborne illness. An outbreak in 2007in Prince George is a prime example of how under-reported food borne illnesses are – EHOs followed up with about 70 people who had fallen ill, but only five of them saw a doctor about it.
