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Foodborne diseases (FBDs) represent a significant public health concern, particularly in regions like Central America and the Caribbean (CAC), where surveillance gaps due to a lack of resources, knowledge, and technical abilities hinder control over outbreaks. This review investigates the bacterial pathogens responsible for FBDs, their prevalence, management challenges, and prevention strategies. This systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines, focusing on bacterial FBDs in CAC from 2000 to 2024. PubMed and Google Scholar were used as primary databases, supported by other sources to identify relevant studies. Inclusion criteria encompassed studies focusing on bacterial pathogens, prevalence, risk factors, and surveillance practices. Out of the 509 studies initially identified, 35 met the inclusion criteria. The most prevalent pathogens were Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, Campylobacter spp., and Aliarcobacter spp., with contamination often associated with poultry, eggs, and vegetables. Key challenges included inadequate surveillance systems, limited resources, and inconsistent reporting practices. A more significant investment in pathogen monitoring, documentation, and education, along with technologies like whole-genome sequencing (WGS), is crucial. Institutional and governmental funding is vital to improve surveillance and strengthen regional risk analysis.
Details
Food safety;
Pathogens;
Public health;
Food contamination & poisoning;
Documentation;
Salmonella;
Epidemiology;
Boolean;
Campylobacter;
Data analysis;
Foodborne diseases;
Risk analysis;
Seasonal variations;
Research methodology;
Diarrhea;
Gene sequencing;
Epidemics;
Bacterial infections;
Criteria;
Clinical trials;
Risk factors;
Illnesses;
Whole genome sequencing;
E coli;
Surveillance;
Surveillance systems;
Reviews;
Systematic review;
Bacteria
; Fernandez Yumeris 3 ; Azevedo Vasco 4
; De, Francisco Luis Enrique 1 ; Ramos, Rommel T 5 ; Maroto-Martín, Luis Orlando 1
; Franco, Edian F 6
1 Food Safety Laboratory, Department Basic and Environmental Science, Instituto Tecnologico de Santo Domingo (INTEC), Santo Domingo 10602, Dominican Republic; [email protected] (N.S.); [email protected] (Y.F.); [email protected] (L.E.D.F.); [email protected] (L.O.M.-M.)
2 Environmental Genomics Laboratory, Universidad Tecnologica de Santiago (UTESA), Santo Domingo 51000, Dominican Republic; [email protected], Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genetic of Microorganisms, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Para, Belem 66075-110, Brazil; [email protected]
3 Food Safety Laboratory, Department Basic and Environmental Science, Instituto Tecnologico de Santo Domingo (INTEC), Santo Domingo 10602, Dominican Republic; [email protected] (N.S.); [email protected] (Y.F.); [email protected] (L.E.D.F.); [email protected] (L.O.M.-M.), Environmental Genomics Laboratory, Universidad Tecnologica de Santiago (UTESA), Santo Domingo 51000, Dominican Republic; [email protected]
4 Bacterial Disease Laboratory, Postgraduate Program in Animal Science in Tropics, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador 40110-100, Brazil; [email protected]
5 Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genetic of Microorganisms, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Para, Belem 66075-110, Brazil; [email protected], Postgraduate Program in Bioinformatics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil
6 Food Safety Laboratory, Department Basic and Environmental Science, Instituto Tecnologico de Santo Domingo (INTEC), Santo Domingo 10602, Dominican Republic; [email protected] (N.S.); [email protected] (Y.F.); [email protected] (L.E.D.F.); [email protected] (L.O.M.-M.), Environmental Genomics Laboratory, Universidad Tecnologica de Santiago (UTESA), Santo Domingo 51000, Dominican Republic; [email protected], Instituto de Innovaccion en Biotecnologia e Industria (IIBI), Santo Domingo 10134, Dominican Republic